


The Atlas Odyssey

by Char_Lottie



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, Fanart, Mutual Pining, Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, Pining, Slow Burn, Woman main character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:41:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 39,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22564177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Char_Lottie/pseuds/Char_Lottie
Summary: Far is a survivor of the Fall of Beacon.After seeing the devastation brought by it, intends to head back to her home of Atlas for fear of the same happening there. Meeting people and going through trials along the way, going the VERY long way around the Vale Mountains.First time writing an OC Fic, please be nice. And I suppose a sort of Companion piece to The Big RWBY Fanfic, as Far appears in that fic.
Relationships: Original RWBY Character(s)/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 2





	1. Game: Start

Homeward Girl

Prologue: Off I go then

It’s been three and a half months since The Battle of Beacon. Vale has recovered enough to start functioning semi normally again. But with Beacon lost and the Cross Continental Transmit System down, things are slow. Painfully, agonizingly slow. Everyone is nervous, and on edge. And I saw ever increasing struggles to rebuild from the hospital window. And I wonder what might happen to my home in Atlas. It wasn’t the best to me. But it’s still my home, and I sincerely doubt whoever caused this is going to stop at just Beacon. Even if I’m too late, I need to be there to help.

Far finishes getting ready by putting the last of her rations into her survival pack and slinging it over her shoulder. She says her goodbyes to the few friends she’s made in Vale and can bear to see face to face, promising to stay in contact as best as she can with physical messages, and finally sets off out of Vale in the early Winter Morning. She won’t see any friends, new or old, for a while, but she had hope she’d make it safely back to Atlas before anything catastrophic can happen. Or perhaps a catastrophe would be merciful.  
She had been used to living alone, especially the years spent in various wildlands. It didn’t weigh on her much as she saw less people passing her down the road. Consulting the crude map she had purchased before leaving, she had several days before she would reach another village and be able to resupply. She didn’t mind camping out and foraging though, it was actually quite enjoyable, the solitude of living in tandem with nature. And there were still a couple people passing as she continued, and one man who left at the same time as her, so more than she was used to being in the wilderness. She was certain that would change before too long, she liked to travel into the night a bit to extend her progress, while most sought rest and camp as the sun began to set. She couldn’t afford to do that in Winter however, with how early the sun sets. How loathsome, to be forced to camp earlier than she’d like because of her injuries sustained in the defense of Vale. Her leg had been gored by an Alpha Beowolf, and she still had more than a few recovering internal injuries.

It seems I’ll have some like-minded company for this night walk at least.

She thought noticing the person behind her was still walking after the sun had set. 

Safety in numbers I suppose. And in a pinch I could hopefully rely on this fellow traveler. 

She looked back as inconspicuous as she could manage to see if she could size up the traveler and how useful he would be in a fight with a Grimm. To her surprise, however, there were two people behind her. She wondered if somehow she had missed the number. No, no, she was quite certain there was only one other person leaving with her.

So who is this other person. Does the first individual know they’re here?

And as she tried to look back again to try and figure it out, there was a third person, a man, unhooded, and staring ahead. This wasn’t coincidence.  
As she readied her controller for her equipment pack, and turned to confront the strangers, all but the unmasked one had disappeared, likely ducking into the woods. She prodded a button on the controller in her gauntlets to summon her weapons. Twin hard-light Tower Shields, projected by her thermal pack. She hated fighting at night, but surrendering wasn’t in her mind.

Can I help you boys with something? Or are you going to insist upon me you have your way?"

There was no response before the attack came, from 3 sides all at once. With her shields she blocked the first from the left, and swept into the gut of her assailant from the right, before kicking the man in front of her with her right leg. Forgetting it was still missing a chunk of it, she was then brought to one knee from the pain. The bandits acted on her weakness, with their aura they were still relatively fine for now. She gritted her teeth, and rose up in time to block the unhooded man with her right hand, and jab her left shield into his gut with a satisfying thud, followed by her wheeling around in a bid to prevent an attack from behind, and slammed her first shield into the bandit she didn’t hit. She could tell he was the man that left town with her, his red scarf gave that away. She could now see the first man she hit too, a scar over a very angry eye, and black hair. At least the moonlight would prove to be on her side.  
She didn’t like the odds, who knew how much power her pack held, she was injured, and outnumbered. But running wasn’t much of an option either. Deciding to act instead of thinking too long, she dashed ahead to bring her shield down on Red who was still on the ground. Noticing her, he rolled out of immediate harm’s way, but not before her right shield’s bottom tip was brought down on his leg, breaking through his aura, slamming into his leg, and producing a loud cracking sound as Red howled from the pain. By this time Scar Eye had run up to her with his shortsword, in Far’s mind this at least told her the level of her opponents.

Definitely run of the mill bandits, no technically advanced weapons that she could see, and no dust usage yet. 

She blocked with her left shield, only to spot out of the corner of her eye, the unhooded man swinging a mace at her. Unable to block with either shield, it slammed into her side. Even with her chest plate and aura, the force got through enough to knock the wind out of her, feeling her still damaged ribs. She fell to one knee again, as she attempted to counter, she saw an uninspiring figure down the road. A fourth bandit, with a gun, pointed right at her. As she crashed her left shield into the unhooded man, and raised it to block another attack from Scar eye, his attack bounced, but at the same time her left shield shattered and dissipated. She was out of her main energy. Her right shield would likely only withstand another attack or two. And as she swung her right shield up in time to block a shot from the gun wielding bandit, shattering in the process, she felt a stabbing pain in the back of her left shoulder. It was a knife! A Throwing Knife! She had never seen someone use one before, she attempted to get to the tree line to take cover from the gunman, but not before a bullet hit her right in her upper hip. She yelled in pain, wondering why non lethal shots. As she slumped against the tree wincing. She didn’t have many options left in this situation. While she kept a short sword and a self defense pistol for when she couldn’t use her shields, that wouldn’t help her. She had one last tool for emergencies however.

The bandits surrounded her with weapons still raised, except Red. Even with his injured leg, he was smiling as he limped over and crouched next to Far. “So. Here’s how it’s gonna go. We’re gonna take any money and dust you have, as well as your fancy backpack, and so long as you don’t give us a hard time, we’ll let you live. But.” He hesitated for a moment looking her up and down. “For the trouble you caused us I might have to take a little extra. But don’t worry, you just have to sit back and relax, love.” His lecherous words snaked out, as he began to reach for her thigh.

Then a thud into the grass interrupts the scene, as Red’s arm, now removed from himself in a clean cut, lays on the ground, leaking blood as his stump spurts it over himself and Far. The bandit’s look of smug confidence turns to disgust at the arm, then fear as they look at Far. A large Grimm’s hand now appeared to be coming from behind her, a blood soaked claw pressed into the ground as another appeared to her other side. Far crouches onto all fours as a hard-light frame stretches the faux Beowolf skin around her. Filling it in and looking unnervingly like an actual Beowolf, but with Hard-Light instead of bone jutting out of it, and the disturbingly blending body of Far on its underside, as the Beowolf’s frame was projected from her pack. Burning the Red dust she keeps in it for these situations. And She lunges at the unhooded man.

5:00

The Grimm head bit into his neck, ripping out his wind-pipe, and with him finished, the Grimm head looked up with its hollow black eyes, turning to her right to look at the gunman. The entire hulk begins to rise and move towards him, rushing him down with a ferocious tenacity. Panicked, he began to desperately shoot at the Grimm frame, not realizing Far was the one controlling it, and in 3 slashes from the Grimm claws, he’s left crawling away, as bloody streaks are left in the dirt and pockets of snow behind him. Taken with the predacious feeling, Far slowly follows behind him, until she catches up, pressing a claw into his back so he can’t move she brings the Grimm head down, and clamping it’s metal jaws around the back of his neck, makes it bite down. And with a spurt of blood and a bit of struggling, the gunman fell still and she released his neck from the Grimm head’s jaws.

3:45

By this point Scar Eye was supporting Red on his shoulder, desperately trying to run back down the woods. For a moment she wondered where they were intending to go. Maybe nowhere. But it didn’t matter, they wouldn’t get away, she would ensure it.  
Using the Grimm frame’s large legs, she bounded down the road after them, reaching them in hardly any time at all with how slow Red was likely keeping them. She lunged, pushing Red down to the ground, injuring him further under the Grimm frame’s weight, and tackled Scar Eye, getting occasional hits as he desperately fought back with his weapon. Finally she landed a hit with her claw into his right shoulder, and with a swift downward motion, eviscerated his right arm, and sending his weapon flying. Finally finished with his struggling, she used the Grimm head to bite down on his head, as he screamed in fear and pain for what likely seemed to him an eternity. She ended the flailing with an audible crack and crunch, as the Grimm’s teeth pierced the skull. 

2:25

Red lay face up in the middle of the road, gasping for air and unable to move from blood loss, as well as the sheer pain his whole body was in, and the shock from seeing all his compatriots brutally cut down as they were sure they had won. They had planned it so well, he followed her through town as he saw her making her goodbyes. Signaled his comrades that they had a mark on the way. Stalked her through the entire day until night when they were far from any other travelers or settlements. Even hiding a fourth ahead at all times waiting for the chance to catch his prey. He wondered how it could have gone so wrong as he closed his eyes ready to accept his fate.  
He felt a drip on his cheek. Then another. Then several more. Was she truly a Grimm? Drooling on him? Not possible he thought as he opened his eyes, and he was right. As he saw the Grimm head staring down at him, it wasn’t drool falling to him. It was the blood of his friends, and the Grimm head moved past to hover over his midsection. And he looked up to see Far’s hooded head looking down on him. In her eyes something had changed from the expression he saw before. Absent of emotion. Fixated entirely on the thrill of killing. In that moment he was completely deflated. He had stalked not prey into the woods. But a larger predator. 

Far used her real hands to gently hold either side of Red’s head, as the Grimm head lowered to his midsection, mouth wide. And she whispered to him, in the most dulcet tone she had used in years, “Don’t worry, you just have to sit back and relax, love.” And in an instant she strew his guts were about the road. 

1:15 

The Beowolf frame collapsed back, as the fur and head settled back onto her body and shoulder respectively. She checked how much dust she had left in her pack, “Damnit,” She exclaimed silently, “I reveled in it too much and only have about a minute for the Beowolf suit again if I need it before refueling.”  
Far rummaged through the bandits possessions. Some lien, a few dust cartridges, but only one of them the red dust she needed, and some likely stolen jewelry. She needed rest.  
Wincing, she got up and continued down her path to distance herself from the corpses. Ascertaining her injuries as she went, and finally removing that damnable throwing knife. It was quite a pretty knife surprisingly, with a decorative sigil in it. Certainly it wasn’t his own and was likely stolen like the rest of their items, but she pocketed it anyway, you never know after all.  
Walking for maybe 20 minutes further, she couldn’t manage more in her state. She created a fire to keep warm, lest she freeze to death in the night, and began treating her wounds the best she could. The shoulder and the bullet wound would likely need stitches. She breathed a sigh of relief realizing the bullet had at least passed through her. While it would be prudent to return to Vale for treatment, she couldn’t afford using that time. She had to progress. Besides, if she meets someone going back after passing the mutilated corpses, it wouldn’t be a good look.  
As she wondered about her situation, exhaustion began to take her and she fell asleep mid thought.

The sun had been in the sky for a couple of hours by the time Far woke up. Not her intention, but under the circumstances she couldn’t exactly choose. Quickly, she heated up some water over the smoldering coals of her fire and ate one of the sandwiches she packed as a way of extending her rations, “Wasted daylight,” she thought to herself, gritting through the soreness of standing. Her ribs and leg still ached, and her more fresh wounds stung. But she had to get going.  
Hastily she put out the last of the coals and continued down the road. It was cold. So cold. Cold and aching. At least it wasn’t snowing again, though there were still signs of the last time it had around the trees. Thinking felt so slow right now to her, she would forget how much time had passed, even after checking her scroll. But she progressed, slowly, but surely ahead, eating when she needed to and occasionally needing a moment or two to just sit. While she was used to the quiet of winter in the wilderness, it didn’t mean she was fond of it. It tended to make her feel even more isolated than she normally had. She also tended to have a nasty habit of getting too into her own head when there were no noises to focus on. Dampening her awareness of what’s around her and usually only resulting in cyclical thoughts she had to be broken out of by sudden outside influence or particularly chaotic thoughts. The pain kept her from being sucked in too much. She could swear the knife wound was feeling worse than in the morning. And the less she thought about her ribs, the better.  
Once the sun had gone down, she could only manage another hour and a half of walking. She wanted to go further, especially with the time lost this morning. But she couldn’t. She at least had the energy to set up her sound traps around camp, and prepare an actual heated meal, As well as a chance to clean the wounds for the first time. The bullet wound seemed to be doing fine, though clearly still tender. Mid section as good as it can be, no internal bleeding from what she could tell. And her leg, while stiff from the cold and strain, seemed to be doing more or less okay. The cut in her shoulder however didn’t appear to be getting better, it was swollen and red with fluid coming out. All she could manage was to boil some water to sterilize the wound, and replace the bandage. With the painful task out of the way, she leaned against a tree and bundled up under her collapsible canopy.  
And her mind began to wander.  
She didn’t like killing things that weren’t Grimm if she could help it.  
Who were they.  
Did it matter, they were clearly bad.  
Why did have to be her.  
Or maybe it was meant to be her.  
How much longer.  
Could she make it far eno-  
And at that last thought she slipped into her sleep. Tragically unrestful her dreams made her sweat and squirm. Flashing teeth and blood. Death around her, in her, and unable to stop any of it. Only able to watch. A passive observer allowing the pain to occur to both her fellow man, as well as herself.  
The grim dreams were interrupted by her startling awake, heart racing, and eyes wide looking around for danger.  
But no source could be found. Uneasily she began to leave her canopy. She was exhausted. Her shoulder burned, snaking aching pain down her whole arm. It was morning. What time? It didn’t matter, she just had to clean up and get going. She’d likely have to camp one more time because of all the lost time, and while this frustrated her, her head was far too cloudy to dwell on it.  
Was it noon? Earlier? Later? It was unclear as the sky began to Overcast. And then finally rain. “Just what I needed,” she thought “ By all means, not as if I needed to get anywhere with any sort of haste. Not as if I’m struggling enough in this situation.”  
At a start her eyes grew wide as she looked through the woods. “What was that noise.”  
Unable to tell if she actually heard something or was merely exhausted and paranoid, she traveled on. 

You look tired.

Again she whirled around looking for the source. “Crap, I’m much worse off than I anticipated if I’m hallucinating on day 3.”  
Standing still for a minute, she scanned her surroundings for anything out of the ordinary.  
Nothing. She began walking again, softer this time so as to hear anything else stepping in the mud. 

If you’re that injured and exhausted, you’re welcome to come stay with me. I’d love the company.

She froze. The voice sounded so real. So close. It felt like butter to hear. It was so...enticing. She scanned ahead, her flanks, behind her. And finally with nowhere else to gaze, hesitantly looked up only to see. Rain. What was it. What What What What.  
She had to keep going, get out of here, avoid whatever was attempting to contact her, if indeed it was anything. Nothing could be found from her observations, but she was also not firing on all cylinders.  
Stare ahead. That’s all that could be done, keep going, and ignore the voice. It continued occasionally. Asking her to put her stuff down, to relax and await the arrival of the speaker or their envoy. This wasn’t Grimm, and it certainly didn’t appear to be human if she couldn’t see it anywhere at any point, pursuing her. So if it wasn’t something she knew. It was far scarier as an unknown element.  
Again its smooth voice wormed its way into her thoughts, unable to block it out, only able to hear it and worse, not wish to see it go. How long had she been walking? How far was she?

At that she saw ahead of her a sign at a crossroads. Certainly it wouldn’t inform her how long it was to reach her destination, but it was a sign of civilization, but again the voice beconned. 

Stay, I’m quite hospitable. Besides, you’d be better in the woods. With how savagely you tore those men apart. You were so beautiful, a beast eviscerating prey without remorse. Besides the difference in look between you and the Grimm you seem fated to the wilderness.

Her legs started to buckle. Whether from the exhaustion or the surprise of the statement. How did they know about the bandits? Were they pursuing them even back then? She continued to the crossroad. Slower and slower as her pace came to a crawl. Her body ached, her head cloudy and unable to think straight. The voice feeling like chains dragging her down.  
Finally she reached the crossroads, as the rain began to downpour, she stood before the sign. And her legs gave out as she dropped to her knees. And with one last thought, “What a shitty place to die.” Her face fell against the grass, and she became unconscious. 

Chapter 1:  
The Plague Cometh

In her dreams, Far could feel herself lying on the cold ground. Everything around her was cold and wet. Unable to focus on anything but those points, until she was certain she was being picked up and carried. It seemed the voice would get their wish in the end, because she was unable to fight enough to get out. The prospect of what she would awake to terrified her, though in the end it would surprise her, as most of her journey would prove to. 

In an instant she woke up in a start, her heart racing, but her muscles still waking up and sore. Where was she? Through disoriented vision she could see some sort of canvas roof as she was laying on her back.  
“Ah, good mornin’ to ya!”  
With some pain to her shoulder she tilted her head up to the corner of what would appear to be a wagon she was riding in. There she saw in the corner, a short woman with Cobalt Blue hair, various assortments of bottles of liquids hanging off her in bandoliers, and two sizable bags to either side of her. She was reading a book and looking up at Far.  
“Morning, I think.” She weakly said as she attempted to sit up and lean against the wall opposite her riding partner.  
“Careful!” the girl exclaimed “I just stitched ya up last night, don’t want my work goin’ to waste an all that.” Touching her shoulder, Far did notice the swelling had gone down, though it was still painful, “Thank you, I appreciate it really. My name is Far, if you could also inform me of your name.” As she thanked the girl and pulled out some Lien to pay her, the girl held up a hand and said, “Firstly, my name’s Gemini, and the practice on ye’ was more than payment.”  
“Practice?”  
“Oh yes! Ya see I’m not an actual doctor, more of a hobby really.”  
Far’s neutral expression shifted to one of cautious worry as the only thought in her head became, “Well that’s disconcerting.”  
A minute of silence passed before Far started examining the wagon, seeing camping supplies, food, among other personal belongings, “Who are you all that picked me up?”  
“Oh, I’m not really a part of the group per se, I help out with tasks, mainly injuries, in exchange for the safety of a group and traveling! But I was rather impressed. We found you layin' face down in the mud, getting rained on, and they were at first cautious it might be a trap or some other strange occurrence. But the second they turned you over to see under your hood, and saw you were a faunus, they put you on the wagon and asked me to fix ya up.” Far, half listening, looked out of the back of the canvas. Still raining. She felt safer having some kind of wall between her and the woods, still unsure if the voices she heard were in her head or not, “So you said they’re faunus who run this caravan? What kind of people are they? Are they fleeing?”  
“Oh no! They’re nomadic. Finding that to work best for them in terms of surviving Grimm and staying away from people who would mean them harm.”  
“And where are we headed? Lone Tower?”  
“Mhm. Probably arrive there this evening. We’ve had a few delays, including stopping for you.”  
Far started getting in her own head thinking back to what happened, before summarily being interrupted by Gemini again.  
“So if’n ya don’t mind me asking, why’s there a hole in your leg and a bunch of cracked ribs in your chest?”  
Far sighs, “The ribs were healing, before I was attacked again a couple days ago, and the leg is from the Battle of Beacon.” Gemini tilts her head with interest, “Oh! I heard bout it on the news, quite a tragedy of a situation. Were you attacked while runnin’ or something?”  
“No. I’m a huntress, I was defending Beacon and Vale to the best of my ability.”  
Gemini’s eyes narrowed, seeming to try and focus on something, “Really? You don’ seem to have the eyes of a fighter. L’east right now.”  
“Don’t psycho-analyze me.”  
“Oh, I’m not. I said I doctor as a hobby, not psycho-therapy. It’s jus’ written all over your face. You’re like a big ol’ open book for viewing. Has anyone ever told ye quite easy to read?”  
“No, they usually say the opposite.”  
“Hm. Maybe they’re just lookin’ in the wrong places.”  
Far squinted at Gemini, “You know doctoring as a hobby isn’t really a thing? They have a word for it, I’m pretty sure.” Gemini’s eyes light up again, “Oh ye! Call me a duck if you like!”  
“No, the term is ‘Quack’.”  
“Thas’ what I said!”  
Far let the conversation drop and went back to leaning her head against the wagon, closing her eyes. Again Gemini spoke up, “So where ya off to that ye just left and got thonked right out the gate?” Reluctantly, she opened her eyes to look at Gemini, who was sitting with her legs crossed, holding her face as if expecting a story.  
“You’re really not going to let this conversation end are you?”  
“Not so long as we’re both back here. And thas’ gonna be for another several hours.”  
A moment of silence passed with the two staring at each other, before Far sighed, and relented.  
“I’m on my way to Atlas. Or at the very least Mantle. Happy?” Gemini smiled, “Nope! Why ye headin’ there?  
Far thought for a minute, deciding on whether or not she should tell the truth, before coming to the conclusion this girl would know she wasn’t if she didn’t. “I’m from Atlas. Well. Born in Mantle, but I eventually went to school at Atlas. After Beacon’s fall, I’m unsure what to do with myself, and decided to head back in case something happened there as well.”  
Gemini seemed to ponder the information, studying Far’s expression, before continuing, “Well, that seems to be what you think is the reason at any rate, but ye still sounded unsure of it. Now that I’ve gotten a bit of what I want, feel free to ask something, only fair. Equal exchange of information an’ all that.”  
May as well have some kind of engagement, if I’m forced to I suppose. Far thought to herself. She took a pause ad thought of a question for a small bid to extend the silence, “Where are you headed? If you aren’t part of the caravan, just hitching a ride.”  
“Nowhere in particular.” Gemini laid back with her feet out, tapping them together in a carefree manner, “I’m jus’ livin’ life the way I want, experiencing it as I go. Continuing what I research on and just explorin’. Though I haven’t been too far out’ve Vale area n’ such. But, ain’t the first caravan I been with, won’t be the last.” Gemini’s face turned slightly more serious, but still smiling, as if this were a game to her, “So, one more question, then I’ll have a go again.”  
Far became a little skeptical at this change in mood, and pondered for another question she might be curious about.  
“What are you researching? Clearly you aren’t trying to be a doctor or you’d be in a school in a kingdom.”  
“Pfft. I could be a doctor if I felt like it. But in reality I’m an herbalist. I study plants, and collect seeds, notes, and samples of notable ones. ‘Sides, everyone knows the real research and experience is out in the field. Ain’t that what you hunters do?”  
“Depending. Certain aspects like combat and learning about Grimm are certainly more fruitful in the real world. But other more intricate details are best learned from a book or instructor to ensure they’re correct.”  
“Gosh, ye sound like a teacher or somethin’”  
“Well I was, to an extent and for a time. Mainly a coordinator of certain events and a substitute.”  
“Oh! Really hit the nail on the head there didin’ I?”  
Gemini changed her way of sitting again to lean forward, “So what’s your plan to get to Atlas hm? Surely you coulda taken a ship or some such.” Far considered her response. Deciding to test how much she could not say without notice, “Thought walking would be a good experience, I like having control of my journey and not being victim to the whims of the sea or a ship. Besides I’ve never been around the mountains, or North to Vytal Island.”  
At this Gemini’s mouth turned to a frown. “Ah’ think you’re full of it.”  
“Excuse me?”  
“Ye used words to sound common and reasonable, but everything else ‘bout ye is quite different. Why would ye take the scenic route, around mountains, likely through Mountain Glenn, to get to Atlas, if you were concerned it might be in danger soon? If ye don’ have the eyes of a fighter at the moment, more like someone runnin’ why would ye’ take the harder path? And maybe if you’re just tenacious, why would ye take so few supplies, not knowing how long you might take to reach a town, or if you might run into trouble, which ya did.” 

Far said nothing to the challenge, even having to look away at Gemini’s intense gaze into her own eyes while Gemini continued the prodding, “Did ye not intend to succeed? Hopin’ to die or some such?” Again Far said nothing.  
“You put on a facade, but you’re actually quite soft huh?” Gemini’s expression eased, becoming less serious. “Alright, I can see this ain’t fun for you, so I’ll leave it at that.”  
The two passengers rode in silence the rest of the way to the first town on their journey, Lone Tower. Named so for its central structure, what started the town as a lookout post, turned guard structure, turned town center. It’s a well defended trading outpost, and seen as a last major outpost in the direction of Mountain Glenn.  
It was late evening once the caravan had arrived. Far thanked the caravanners for helping her, even offering to pay them, though they turned down her offer. She said goodbye and went into the town, though she couldn’t find Gemini anywhere. She purchased more supplies for her journey, intending to leave the next morning after staying at the inn, thinking it would do her good to sleep in a bed as often as possible.  
It went smoothly enough, they had plenty of rooms. She showered, replaced her bandages, and settled into the bed going over the events of the day. The first chance at relaxing she had since Vale. What a hellacious several days it had been on the start of her journey. Falling unconscious, being helped, having an uncomfortable conversation. What else was there? 

I’m glad to see you feeling better. Have you considered my proposal yet? Or perhaps you didn’t hear it laying on the ground.

Far shuddered. IT was back… She hadn’t hallucinated through the fever? Worse yet the voice was really there, seeming to come from nowhere, and all around her at the same time. She froze, unsure what to do, darting her eyes around the room. 

You still won’t talk to me? I know you can hear me. Your reaction says everything. I know you’re tired. And I’m offering you sanctum. I could use someone like yourself, and I can ensure you safety. And eventually? Peace.

She continued to be frozen on the bed. Looking everywhere, not seeing any sign of where the speech could come from. The worst sort of vulnerability she had felt, even though she wasn’t out in the woods. A pressure, weighing down on her. Yet she still dared not answer it.

Ruminate on it for me. I can tell you more when you feel a touch more receptive. Rest assured I’ll speak to you again soon. 

The pressure left, and Far finally took a breath, panting from the lack of it while she was frozen. It had come back...IT wasn’t made up...It was terrifying. It could be watching her and she wouldn’t even know. And yet. What could she do? If there was no sign of it, no clear sound of where, nothing but a feeling and a clear voice. She couldn’t stop it, couldn’t fight it, only attempt to outrun or ignore it.  
Then a thought came to her. If she ignored it long enough. What if it didn’t leave. What if it simply turned hostile. A thing she couldn’t identify or find now become a threat, honeyed words turning to daggers. What could she do?  
Her terror didn’t leave her for over an hour. Yet even then it remained, but her own exhaustion finally compelled her to fall asleep. However she left the lights on. 

***

Sun shone through the window of Far’s room, finally awakening her. Taking maybe longer than she should have, getting up, Far got dressed, and cleaned up, ready as she ever would be to continue.  
She ate some hot food, bundled herself up, and walked out of the town continuing her southern path. After a few moments, she decided to look behind herself,just in case. There was... a hooded traveler behind her. Far mumbled to herself, “Oh for the love of god…”  
She turned around summoning her shields immediately, and pointing one at the traveler, “Who are you! Cause if you have some intention of mugging me, I’ll end your miserable existence here!”  
“Oh! The fighter comes out to play!”  
Far’s expression became a touch shocked recognizing the voice. The traveler put back her hood to reveal it was Gemini, who was waving to her while still approaching, “I’m impressed! You found me out quick, then ready to axe me right off the bat.”  
“Call it learning from a mistake.” Far frowned, dissipating her weapons and turning away from her to continue. Gemini trotted up to be next to her as they walked. As she approached her, Far finally asked, “Why are you here? Weren’t you traveling with the faunus caravan?”  
“Mhm, as I told ye before, ain’t the last group I’m traveling with, now I’m with you.”  
“You aren’t traveling with me.”  
“Well it’s too late for that, I’m already here and said my goodbyes!” Far sighed. “Why must you insist upon coming with me?”  
“Call it a guilty conscious. You’re going to die alone. That is to say, if you continued alone. Which you’re not, I’ll be a member of your team now! ‘Sides, I’m sure I’ll have more fun travelin’ with you anyhow. Get to learn a lot on the way up to Atlas.”  
Far paused to think. Then turned to Gemini with a serious expression, “It’s not going to be easy, or fun. We’re on our way to Mountain Glenn as step:1! Of the journey. That’s not even the end, then we have to travel the lengths of the Vale mountains again, through wilderness, grimm, threats of all kinds, only to reach Vytal Island, which is still not the end.”  
Gemini looked over to her with a wide grin, “Ah’m not stupid ya know. I know it ain’t gon’ be easy, and that we’re goin’ to be at it for a while.”  
“So then why are you insisting on going?” Gemini paused, not speaking for a moment as they keep walking. Finally continuing, “Do you believe certain things are meant to happen?”  
Far sighed, “I have no idea anymore.”  
“Well, I do. I can’t explain fully what or why. But I get the feeling Ah’m meant to go with you. Whether it’s for my own good, or cause I’m well aware you ain’t gonna make it without someone ‘side ye.” Far finally stopped with her protests, looking off down the road. She let down her guard, looking pitifully forlorn. “Okay. I. I think it would be good to travel with someone else. Thank you.” 

Gemini’s face beamed, before chuckling, “Y’know? You’re quite lovely when ye aren’t tryin’ to hide yourself.” Far smiled down at her, and they continued. It would take half a week to reach the next settlement, which would be the last one they’d have before Mountain Glenn.  
The rest of the day went by mostly without incident. Gemini and Far talked with each other, about nothing quite in particular. Gemini didn’t care much for small talk, but went along with it, while Far appreciated the distraction, as she routinely scanned the woods. Searching. She couldn’t help the feeling it was still watching her. A slightly oppressive atmosphere. Eventually the sun set, and after a bit more traveling, they decided to make camp. Far had stopped talking since the sun had set. But it wasn’t until after they finished eating Gemini finally broke the silence, “Don’t care for the night hm?” Far continued looking out into the woods for a few seconds before responding, “I like the night fine. I’m just a bit uh. Cautious for now.”  
“Ah’ can tell, your eyes ‘ave been dartin’ every which way in the woods. Especially since the sun set.” She leaned towards Far to speak quieter, “You got some kinda tail followin’ ye or somethin’? Something to be concerned for?”  
At this Far was torn. She didn’t want Gemini to distrust her, and she knew she’d be found out by her uncanny ability to call a bluff if she lied. But she would sound crazy if she started saying she hears a voice beckoning her, that’s been pursuing her since she left Vale. Or even more horrific, possibly earlier. Finally deciding to not lie, but to only tell half of the truth.  
“When I left Vale I was followed by a group of bandits. That’s why I initially threatened you as soon as I noticed you were following me. I was ambushed and hurt pretty bad, as you saw. I haven’t fully recovered from my injuries at Beacon. So I’ve been a tad cautious of anything else coming up behind me.” Gemini pondered the information for a bit, before backing off.  
“Alright. I’ll take ye for that. So what’s actually the deal with your leg? You said it had been months since Beacon, an’ with bein’ an Atlas girl n’ such. Surely ye coulda gotten some sort of prosthetic support, or ‘ell, maybe even a brand new leg, better than the original.” Silence again settled on the camp, “Ah’ know you said it was a beowolf that got ye, and you’ve been a lil’ dodgy on why the broken ribs with a scar goin’ through your back. And obviously I have no reason to ask ‘bout the bandit injuries as ah’m the one who patched em up. But why not get yourself in top shape? To go along with why you still aren’t fully prepared for the journey at hand.” Far stared at the fire, still thinking of a response before Gemini continued, “I left it on the wagon to be polite, but if ah’m gonna be helpin’ ye. I need some trust and information back.”  
Far winced as she finally forced herself to speak trying to not shut herself off, “I didn’t want it… I don’t. *Sigh. I don’t like Atlas. Not what it was when I was graduating, and certainly not what it is now. Under the influence of the Schnee’s and Ironwood’s own paranoia. I find myself not wanting any involvement even in the technology my home developed… And yet. It’s still my home.”  
Gemini sat back, no longer staring at Far, leaving room for her to keep going.  
“I don’t want to see it crumble. But you were right. I had the eyes of someone running, because I was. I ran from Atlas, from my team, from my home and the troubles befalling it. Instead of trying to help it myself I ran from it. And then… Even the place I ran away to burned.”  
The sparse clouds in the sky began to clear, revealing the moon and the stars above them. Gemini looked up, as Far continued to look into the fire. A few minutes passed before Gemini asked, “So what do ye intend to do when ye actually get there?”  
Far sighed. “I don’t really know. Contact my old teammates. See how they’re doing...Finally face what I’ve been running from. Then if need be, talk to someone from the Atlas military, and see what needs to be done. Whether it’s what they want, or what I think should be done.”  
Gemini looked to Far, who was still staring at the fire. The flames danced in her eyes, as Gemini finally saw what she looked like. Not beaten and battered, but determined. Gemini smiled. “Alright, then I guess I’ll have to see what I can do about your leg if you don’t intend to get prosthetics yet.”  
Far looked to her, “What do you mean?”  
“Plants can do so much more than just stave off infection and promote internal health. An’ besides, whether you decide to fix your leg up, or if I manage to find somethin’ for ye. You’re gonna need to be in tip top shape. Not just for the journey there, but when we actually arrive too. Don’ want your plannin’ and tenacity to go to waste do we?”  
The two girls smiled at each other, and for the first time in months, the fire lighting up both of their eyes in the cold winter air, both looking determined and sure of themselves finally. And Far finally felt happy and hopeful for her path. Pleased she wouldn’t be paving it alone now.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's gay haunted house time.

Chapter 2: Only one path. Straight

  
Far was woken up with a shake. Startled she got up, drawing her weapon, but stumbling after putting weight on her right leg. Gemini tried calming her down, “Easy there! I was just waking ye up cause we got to get going soon. I guess you’re still a bit tuckered from the injury’s n’ such.”    
Far groaned as she got up, seeing Gemini had already packed up most of the camp before waking up.    
“Alright! Let’s get going now that you’re up. We can eat on the road.”    
“Y-yeah, you’re right.”    
She was awfully persistent. But they did have a lot of ground to cover, and she wouldn’t let her injuries stop her. Maybe just slow her down more than she’d prefer. Happy as she was to have someone else with her, she couldn’t help still being wary. The oppressive feeling of being watched never went away, but she could never tell if it was simply her being nervous. But even so, she continued scanning all around her to the continued observation of Gemini. They talked occasionally, but Far was always too distracted to address anything of importance. She hadn’t a clue what she was even looking for. Just, anything out of the ordinary that could be near her. This trend kept up for the rest of the trip to their final settlement before Mountain Glenn, although their trip was extended another day because of Far’s injuries.    
The settlement had several names depending on who you were, it was small with a limited amount of people who resided there permanently. It was mostly safe, so long as you stayed inside at night, and weren’t surprised by the occasional grimm to show up. Because of its location and purpose for on foot recons to Mountain Glenn however, it was commonly known as an uninspiring name, “Last Stop.”    
  
That night Far sat up, still awake while her partner slept. Staring out of the window into the woods. It was there, she was certain. She waited for minutes. The minutes became an hour. And she still waited, while beginning to doze off from her own exhaustion. Until finally, she saw something. A small red glow in the woods, not eyes, there was only one. She waited...Waiting for it to speak. And it obliged.   
  
**_Hello again, girl. Have you decided to hear me out?_ ** **_  
_ ** **_  
_ ** She tried to be defiant, “I don’t need your help, I have someone helping me now.”   
  
**_I noticed. She’s welcome to join you with me. Is there something in particular you wanted? Power? Safety? Love? I assure you, I can provide plenty of anything your heart may desire._ ** **_  
_ ** **_  
_ ** “I  _ want  _ to make my way to Atlas. If you’re so certain I’d want to join you then why don’t you come out and talk to me yourself? If you even can.”   
The voice in Far’s head suddenly became louder, painful, as she clutched her ears, despite the noise not meeting them.   
  
**_Don’t doubt me, girl. I could force you to your knees if I so desired, and you would grovel at my feet thanking me. But I am choosing a smoother path for now in the form of offering you to join on your own. My vassal will meet with you soon enough when you speak with the emissary. But not here. In seclusion. But I will leave you with something to remember what defiance grants you._ **   
  
Without the voice there began an ear piercing shriek inside of Far’s head, she screamed, unable to even hear herself in the pain, and through the noise Gemini leapt out of her bed with a start at the alarm, running over to Far who was clutching her head and curled up by the window. Gemini held her up, placing both of her hands on either side of her head, and began calmly trying to speak to her, “Far. Can ye hear me? It’s alright, open your eyes.”    
Her words somehow got through, Far opened her eyes and looked into Gemini’s, and the shrieking began to fade. Until it was completely gone. Far’s body untensed as she stared ahead for a moment, before blinking a few times and quickly getting up to look out the window. It was gone. Whatever that red glow was, it was gone.    
“What happened, what was that?”   
“I uhm. Had a nightmare.”    
“You’re still insistin’ on hidin’ what’s botherin’ ye, huh? Just screamin’ in the middle of the night, then lookin’ for somethin’ out in the dark woods? With how you been scannin’ every which way for days now as we walk, looking scared out your wits as you do.” She guided Far to the bed, and sat beside her. “What’s happenin’? I can’t help ye if you go runnin’ and hidin’ yourself again.” Far rubbed away slight tears in her eyes, “I don’t know what it is… Ever since just before you and the caravan picked me up, or maybe even before it. It's been following me. I can feel it near me, like it's latched onto my skull somehow. It’s some woman’s voice I think, insisting I listen to, and go with her. I’m not even hearing it. It’s in my head…” she looked to the ground, remorse blanketing her face. “I kept it from you before because how could I tell you I  _ literally _ heard voices in my head? That I was being pursued by some nebulous thing I couldn’t even tell you what it looked like beyond just the feeling it gives me… I probably sound crazy.”   
“Eh, no more than the normal amount.” Far’s expression returned to neutral as she looks at Gemini.   
“Ah! There we go, the old you comin’ back already.” Gemini smiled, “We live in a world with magical crystals, shadow beasts, and the ability to manifest our very own spirits. I don’t think hearin’ voices in your head is that crazy. ‘Specially when it causes you to shriek in pain.”   
“...Thanks…”    
“You're not alone anymore. Whatever you’re finally turning to face, I’ll be by ya” Gemini got up, and examined her head once more to make sure she’s not injured. “Do ye think you’ll be alright to leave tomorrow?”   
“Yeah. I will. We have to make progress, we can take it easy once we’re past Mountain Glenn, not here.” Gemini ensured she was alright again before getting back into her own bed. Far turned out the lights and closed the window and blinds. Staring up at the ceiling. Would she be able to sleep after that? Who knows. It could take minutes, or hou-   
She quickly drifted off from the exhaustion.   
  
She didn’t dream that night. It felt as if she closed her eyes drifting off, and in the next moment, she opened them to see it was morning.    
The girls both got ready, then began the lengthy process of stocking up on provisions for the coming journey. It would be at least two weeks to Mountain Glenn, and who knows how much more to get through it. Nobody would go near the place because of the nature of it, and how it became a hive for grimm. Last Stop was the literal last place they’d be able to stop and resupply until they got completely past Glenn to another village.   
The first day was spent in relative silence, Far not well rested mentally, and still in fear of her surroundings. She relaxed and continued with small talk as the days continued. But as they got to higher elevation it got colder, even snowing in some cases. The cold didn’t get to Gemini at all, who always wore thick, heavy, layered clothing. For Far it wasn’t so much the temperature that bothered her. It got dark so quickly, and her wounds would ache. Her hip and shoulder were doing better after a week of traveling. But her ribs, and especially her leg, ached and burned with every step, though she tried her best to hide the discomfort it caused her.    
She was a little concerned that they hadn’t encountered any grimm on their way. But it was possible Mountain Glenn was attracting most of them to its epicenter.    
The snow continued, slowing them down and lengthening their trip. Far felt guilty for being the weaker link in this instance. She was used to being the independent that could protect themselves, but clearly that wasn’t completely true, finding she started to depend on Gemini more, if she had trouble walking, or if the pain was getting to her, Gemini would always have something she had already made with her stores of supplies. Most usefully, she was there to talk about anything if the thought of the red glow or the voice came to her mind again. The oppressive feeling felt lessened as she talked more about other things. Her life at Beacon, her students and co workers. The pain she felt at not being able to do more for them and the school when it needed it. Maybe it was the cold, but she felt like she could talk forever to Gemini, it was... unusual to have someone she felt she could trust. And in turn she learned more about Gemini, at least what she was willing to share. She was indeed gifted in knowledge about plants, likely even being able to rival Professor Peach. Her father ran a multi-faceted trading company, and had always intended for Gemini to run it, given she was his only daughter. And while she was instructed on how to run the trading company, even doing schooling for business and math, she ended up denying it all, running away from home and living life however she wanted, beholden to no one but her own wants, and facing things head on when she desired them. Far found the sentiment to be admirable. Even enviable… And while the distractions were pleasant. The oppressive feeling never entirely went away. The thoughts never fully leaving her mind.   
  
Halfway through the second week, the dead of Winter snow hit hard. It was beginning to form into a blizzard and they had no shelter. And certainly not enough strength and time to set one up. As if answering their thoughts, they saw a branching path off the main road, that led to a building. Mutually, they both decided to at least check it out. As they got closer, observing the place. It looked like an abandoned manor, even having some small ruined buildings to its side, it was decrepit, and had holes in it. One of the windows seemed unable to shut, blowing back and forth in the wind with a loud creaking groan, but it would be better than attempting to wait out the storm outside, with the sun getting closer to its sinking point. The two walked up the porch steps, the wood creaking and moaning with every step. Far looked down at one plank that was rotting away as she stepped over it. “Well this is comforting…” Gemini tapped her on the shoulder playfully, “Think of it as a natural warning system.” They were able to open the door, it wasn’t locked surprisingly, but this place did seem to be long since abandoned. Inside they were met with a long hall that split into several rooms. From first glance the halls seemed to make a plus sign, leading to the rest of the house, though they didn’t see stairs from the entrance. The creaking window was quieter inside, though not gone. Sticking together they searched the house, certain rooms had holes the size of a car in them, and were promptly shut to keep the cold out as best as they could. Nothing but rotted and mummified food in the kitchen, and that painfully annoying squeaking window. The other two downstairs rooms were different. The first, connected to the kitchen, was a grand dining room with a long table. Far ran her fingers along the dust caked table while she looked around the room walking, “This place must have been quite nice in its prime.” Gemini was examining the cupboards, looking for anything useful, “And I imagine had some nice silver if everything seems like it was taken with whoever left, or looted afterwards. There’s barely anything here.”    
Far looked out of the back window, whoever had this manor intended for quite a lot it seemed. There was an entire field behind the building, with fences laying out rows and a half-built barn on the far side by the woods. “Some kind of wealthy family starting a farm? I wonder why they left. This place seems older than Glenn.” Gemini walked up beside her to gaze out at the snow, “Maybe they left cause that squeaking window was just a permanent fixture. I can understand it driving you nuts.” Far chuckled, “Does it bother you?”   
“Of course it bothers me, it's annoying. Why are you laughing?”   
“It’s just that this is the first time I’ve seen you bothered by something.”    
Gemini's cheeks puffed out as she began to pout, quickly looking away form her, “There’s plenty that bothers me. Ah’ just don’t like obnoxious noises, is all. Doesn’t it bug ye in the least?”    
Far shrugged, “I spent a lot of time out in the wild. Consistent or chaotic noises are normal. It’s when it becomes silent you should be concerned. Because if even rats are keeping quiet, what’s getting to them?”   
Gemini looked thoughtful at the information for a moment as they both continued to look out at the snow blanketing the field, piling higher and higher. The window continuing its shrill chaotic repetition.    
Gemini began to move back towards the hall, and crossed to the last room on the main floor as Far followed behind her. The last room seemed quite comfortable, even with the old nature of the building. A living space, with seating and a hearth in the floor, and a stairway leading up. Gemini began to look around the room, opening drawers and cupboards, but Far seemed to be drawn to the stairs, going up them and into the room above. It had no windows, just old flooring, an ornate desk with a ruined chair, and bookshelves lining the walls. As well as one door presumably leading into the central hallway. She wouldn’t go there without Gemini, but she’d certainly look around the shelves. She loved books, and while most of them here were in poor condition, they weren’t completely destroyed. Whoever lived here seemed to have quite a variety in subjects; Dust, History, Technology, Weapons, Grimm, even a multitude of various works of fiction, seemingly almost any genre you could hope for. It would be a wonderful study were it not for its unfortunate state. She picked up a book off one of the shelves, “The Glass Wish”. She hadn’t quite heard of it before, but began reading it absentmindedly, getting lost in the pages. It was about a girl who went on a journey seeking out a wish. She traveled for years, losing her way several times, but always finding one kind soul who would help her back on her path. Then she eventually found the pool of mystic water that would grant her wish, but by the time she got to it. She couldn’t think of what it was she wanted. In exchange the pool gave her a glass star, to carry with her back home, and when she thought of her wish again, she could call upon it. But on her way back, it fell, shattering to pieces. She was devastated, her whole journey for naught. Yet she couldn’t go back and ask for another. So she collected the pieces, and began to return home. Stopping by everyone who had helped her on her way, and giving them a piece of the glass. She eventually made it home to her ordinary life, but treasured the memories she made along the way. After a few years, she had visitors. It was all the people who had helped her along her way, they looked youthful and pristine, each happy and bearing some form of gift. She received gold, food, plant seeds that would produce superior crops, letters of introduction to men and women from high courts. Her shattered star had granted the wishes of everyone that helped her achieve it, and in thanks they shared their fortunes and friendships with her.   
  
“Ye’ seem quite happy.” Far looked up to see Gemini at the top of the stairs. She hadn’t heard the creaking. Or maybe just hadn’t noticed it because of the window’s ever present whine. She didn’t notice that apparently she was smiling while reading the book, even still holding it when she looked up at Gemini. “Yes...I’ve always loved books. Information, stories, all sorts.”   
“Your teacher is showin’ again.” She laughed   
Far also giggled, feeling elated finally, “It’s amazing that nobody touched this room since things seem to be missing from the rest of the house.”   
“Eh, maybe people just didn’t see a reason to loot books.”    
“Maybe.”   
Far gently put the book back on the shelf where she found it, and the two of them went out into the upstairs hall. There were only 2 doors in this hallway, as well as a large circular window overlooking the back field. The creaking was quieter up here at least. Might be good to sleep up here if they can get warm. Inside the left door was a very spacious bedroom. Large bed, makeup desk, bookshelf and work desk, and a private restroom, though it was doubtful it still worked. The girls paced around looking inside everything they could. But there was nothing here, even the makeup was gone, though it probably wouldn’t have been any good. This house truly seemed to be devoid of anything with monetary value. Deciding there was nothing in the main bedroom. They moved across the hall to the last door. It opened with a sickening creak the other doors didn’t have for some reason. Far stopped at the entrance as Gemini entered. It was a child’s room. A little girl by the looks of it. And even more shocking, it didn't seem to be touched much at all. Even the cloth around the bed wasn’t moth eaten. She didn’t know why, but the room made Far sad. Defensive even, not vulnerable. “I think we should leave this room be.”   
“Why? This seems like the only room here that’s not a waste to look through”   
“I don’t know, I just. This room is making me feel some kind of way.” She looked around the pastel colored room... Pastel. Even the wallpaper was still mostly fine. Toys, even some metal items simply left here, unrusted. She then noticed in the corner a small rocking chair with a blanket over it, and something underneath. Gemini saw her eyes meet it, and she walked over to lift the blanket. Far quietly, “Uhm, maybe not-” She lifted the blanket. And underneath was a perfectly preserved porcelain doll. This one was peculiar, it didn’t have a scratch or blemish, its clothes perfect, no signs of wear or age at all. Far briskly walked over and put the blanket back on top of it. Confused at first Gemini started, “Are you okay? Do you have that feeling again?” But she stopped when Far turned to her. Her face was forlorn, tragic, in the way of mourning. “O-okay. We’ll get out of here.” Gemini walked out first as Far tried to make sure the blanket was how they found it, and she exited the room, closing it gently behind her as it made its creak. But as Far walked down the hall, she turned back. It didn’t sound as horrible as when they opened the room. It sounded almost like someone speaking, though she didn’t know the words.

The cold mournful feelings she had were gone as she returned to the study with Gemini, and they headed downstairs. Gemini trying to be sympathetic, “So what happened up there? You looked devastated in that room.” Far looks down at the ground, “I don’t know. It was just a feeling that came to me.”   
“Did ye have a kid that died?”   
“No. I mean, I’ve had some students who have died. But never a kid of my own. I don’t know, I really don’t. It just felt like the kind of place we should leave alone.”    
Gemini sat down by the hearth, thoughtfully poking at it with a fire stick. “I suppose sometimes ye just get feelins’ bout things. I’ve heard it’s good to listen to em. Though I’ll be honest I’ve never had some such feelin’.”    
Far eased herself onto the seat beside her, “You’ve never had just a pressure or sensation telling you that you shouldn’t do something?”   
“Nope. Anything I’ve done has been cause I felt like it, or I saw no reason for it to be a danger. And while it’s got me in trouble a few times, I’ve never been seriously harmed by it.”   
“Seriously harmed?”   
Gemini giggled before rolling her sleeve down and pulling her arm out of her heavy clothes after undoing the buckles on her glove. Far was shocked at just how pale she was, she had thought that Gemini wore makeup to get the desired color on her face. But her arm was so white, like the snow outside. And her arm, small, but toned. And at the point where the arm connected to the shoulder, a large scar going from the side of her chest, to her back. “Ye see, I don’t quite get ‘gut feelin’s’. And I pay for it occasionally, sometimes from people comin’ for me, sometimes from some wildlife or grimm that I stumble upon by accident.” She shivered and put her arm back into her clothes, tightening her glove again. “We’re goin’ to need fuel to get a fire going for warmth tonight. We can use dust to start it, but it needs wood to keep it going.”   
“Isn’t the wood outside and in most of the building still damp?”   
“Yes it is. Hmm. I s’pose we could burn those books.”   
Immediately Far objected, “No way. It’s one of the few things in here that’s not looted or destroyed and I’d like it to stay that way. Also they are slightly damp…”    
Gemini looked at her surprised. Then smiled, “Well we’re goin’ to need something to keep warm. Dust can only keep us so far.”   
“We could huddle together for warmth while we sleep?”    
Gemini’s white face immediately became flushed and red, “Ah’! Ah’ actually think I know where som’ wood would be. A-a large manor like this probably has a cellar with a door outside. Ah-hm.” She quickly turned her face away.   
Far looked over to her concerned, “You alright? I can go look for the cellar if you aren’t doing okay.”   
Gemini cleared her throat, “No it’s fine! We’ll both go. Uhm, don’t want to have something happen to the other while we’re gone right?” She quickly put down her pack of herbalist supplies where she was sitting, and hopped up to begin walking to the hall.   
Far accepted it was just a strange reaction and moved on, as they both left out the front door, and began walking around the building to the back field, Gemini’s face tensing with every creaking noise of the kitchen window. The snow was incredibly difficult to walk through now, and was still coming down. They made their way around to the back field, where, as Gemini had predicted, there was a large metal door connected to the manor and leading down. Though it was secured with a padlock. Far asked Gemini to stand back for a moment, as she summoned a hard-light shield, smashing the tip into the padlock, and shattering it into the snow. Gemini clapped at the show as Far smiled back at her, happy she could help in some way.    
The cellar was large, almost the size of the house’s foundation. There were kegs, presumably with old alcohol in their stores, bags of old fertilizer and seeds, animal food, and to their joy; chopped, dry, fire wood. Far went over to the logs inspected to ensure they were completely dry, while Gemini investigated the kegs. She took out a spare bottle and extracted some of the fluid from it. It didn’t smell rotted or bad. Nor did it smell fresh and fruitful however. She swirled it, noting that it was quite viscous. Taking a sip, she nearly wretched at the flavor. It was wine alright. And who knows how old, but it would probably make okay vinegar. She decided to fill up the bottle and set it on a stool beside her, and then fill another. Just for experiment’s sake. She moved to put the second on the stoo-.    
It was gone. The previous bottle was gone. Where had it gone? She turned to ask Far if she had picked it up, only to see it between them. Standing upright on the floor as Far was still collecting the best looking pieces of firewood, not looking in Gemini’s direction.   
Gemini turned back to the stool to grab her second bottle, only to see it too vanished. And sure enough when she looked back down to the first, the second was there with it in the same position. As if saying, “that’s enough.” She was inclined to agree if the vapors made her misplace them that much. 

Gemini grabbed several logs to carry under her arm so she could open doors, while Far took as many as could fit in both her arms. Satisfied, they made their way back out to the field. As they were going up the stairs however, Far suddenly stopped again. She felt a pressure again, like something was staring into the back of her neck. She hesitantly turned around to look back into the cellar. But nothing was there. She didn’t feel like she was being watched however, now it just felt as though she were looking at it, unable to see it. She was frozen again, trying to find the source. Gemini was asking her what was stopping her, but Far couldn’t hear her, feeling vulnerable. Although, not like she were being hunted as before. This felt as though it were an existential feeling. Cold and trapped, alone. And suddenly not. She began to hear Gemini again, then the creaking window, and the wind blowing. The feeling dissipated and she continued up the stairs outside. Gemini concerned, “What happened? Did you sense the red glow?”   
“Maybe? It felt...different. I’m not sure.”   
“We should get back inside, it’ll be dark soon and we should blockade any doors outside.”   
Far obliged and followed behind Gemini after she closed the cellar doors. It was so cold, both outside and in. They placed the logs in the living area, then went back to the entrance to close off the main door, and the doors to the rooms with holes leading outside, using old furniture, Gemini complaining the whole way, “God I wish we had something to keep that window shut.”   
“We could try and carve a wedge, but I think we’d be better off just ignoring it. Not really worth too much effort.”

The girls returned to the living area to set up a fire in the hearth. Far was setting up a fire start with some random sticks and paper she had. But Gemini was pacing around the room confused.   
“What are you looking for?”   
“My herbalist bag. I set it down by the hearth but I can’t find it now. I don’t think I’m losing it ‘nough to misplace a bag of important things.”   
“Did you take it to the cela-.” they heard a clunk from above them in the study. Immediately Gemini pulled out a hunting knife, and Far drew her shortsword. Far motioned for Gemini to keep behind her as she moved towards the stairs. She slowly moved up them, creaking as she went, clearly stealth wouldn’t be an option, and she rushed up the stairs. She had her sword at the ready only to see that nothing was up here. Except for Gemini's bag, it was on the table, open and with a glass jar on the ground. “Gemini, your bag is up here.”   
“What?”    
She ran up the stairs and stared in disbelief. “Okay I  _ know _ I didn’t leave it up here.”   
She walked over and picked up the jar, then examined her bag. “Almost everything is mixed up and in the wrong spot…”   
“What does that mean?”   
“It means things were taken out, likely examined, then put back in incorrectly.”    
At this Far readied her sword again, and cautiously, moved into the upstairs hall. It was empty. Just the sound of wind hitting the manor and the faint squeaking still. She walked over to the main bedroom door, and flung it open, again ready to fight. But there was nothing unusual there either. She looked around, but something caught her eye. The mirror on the makeup desk. It showed behind her, the children’s room door opening slowly. She whirled around. But nothing stood there. Cautiously moving to the door, she listened closely. Nothing unusual, nothing peculiar. Yet this situation was peculiar. She entered the children’s room slowly, and saw nothing in there.  _ What the fuck… _ She didn’t get it, and didn’t like it. Was the red glow changing its tactics and trying to no unsettle her with actions, rather than words? She closed the doors to both rooms, and went back to the study where Gemini was rearranging the contents of her bag and looked up when Far entered the room. “Nothin’?”   
“Nothing.”    
Gemini looked puzzled and frustrated. “I don’t understand what’s goin’ on here, but I say we leave as soon as we can tomorrow.” 

Far was moving down the stairs, “Won’t hear me objecting to that.”    
  


They managed to get a fire going in the hearth once they had ensured that the rest of the manor was indeed, empty. It was nice by the fire and finally getting to eat. It helped ease any tense feelings from the day. But Gemini kept all her things close to her for the rest of the night.    
After eating, Far got up, “I’m going to see if I can find a nice book to read before bed.” Gemini simply nodded, then went back to looking out the window to the field.    
Far looked through the fiction stories again, she had enough academic reading when she was in school or teaching. Looking through them all, several were plenty familiar. “The Two Brothers”, “The Man with Two Souls”, “The Four Maidens”. But one caught her eye. “The Nine Princes”. She had never heard of this one. Opening it up, it was even illustrated. She went downstairs with it to read in the light, and decided she would take notes and pictures to see if she could find it when she got back to civilization.    
“Watcha got there?”   
“It’s called ‘The Nine Princes’. I’ve never heard of it before. Would you like me to read it aloud?”   
“Sure, I love stories.”   
She began to read the story. It was about 9 brothers, the children of the ruler of a kingdom in the center of Remnant. The king sent each of the princes out in every direction to start their own kingdoms, and whoever was deemed to understand how to rule best would inherit the central kingdom. Years passed and each prince had a kingdom to call their own. But none quite understood what their father had meant. Some took it to mean the same thing, others different. One thought it meant his citizens must come first and be happy. One thought it meant he must have a military might to conquer all others. Three thought it meant they all needed to work together and decide together. Two took it to mean they were never meant to inherit the central kingdom, merely rule their own creations. One thought he meant to learn everything and know all. And the last took his message as a sign. And so he traveled the world hoping to learn about it.    
The militant brother swiftly conquered both the ones who sought knowledge, and his brother that invested entirely in his citizens. Slaughtering his siblings as he went. The three brothers who worked together urged for the two that ruled independently to join them and stop their brother. They refused, insisting they be left to rule as they saw fit. The militant brother came, and fought the three brothers who chose to work together, all of their kingdoms falling to ruin as a result, and the four of them losing their lives in battle. One of the independents became worried at the result of the conflict. Fearing for his own life, and that his remaining two brothers may seek to kill him. Especially the one who vanished, that none of the siblings had heard from since. Eventually he invited his remaining independent brother to join him for a meal, but had poisoned the food, killing him. He was certain the brother that disappeared had also died, and he had won. So he returned to the central kingdom to claim his prize. Only to find the kingdom in ruin. Long since gone and hallowed out, with no clear signs of what happened. There was nothing for him. He returned to his kingdom, and ruled, until a plague swept across the land. Destroying his kingdom as well. The only one left was the prince who abandoned his claim. Confident he had made the right decision. And understood his father’s message. That his father was dying, and his kingdom would soon fall to ruin. He wanted his children to be free of that burden. And now the last prince lived a happy life. Independent from his brothers, free of the burden of war and rule, knowledgeable after his journeys, strong with his newfound community, no responsibility to anyone’s safety or happiness besides his family he started. They were his kingdom.   
Far closed the book gently and got up to return it upstairs, as Gemini snapped herself out of her focus. She was so intent on her reading. Every word to come from her voice felt enrapturing.   
When Far returned, Gemini commented on the story, “You’re right. I had never heard that one before. I don’t think I had heard of even the title.”   
“Neither had I. That’s why I took pictures of its pages, so I can try and find it when we get back. Maybe it's an old story that’s no longer printed.” She yawned, “We should probably get to bed if we want to leave tomorrow morning.”   
The girls got out their blankets and laid by each other next to the hearth to doze off. Far fell asleep almost immediately, while Gemini fluttered off to sleep still concerned.    
  
Gemini wasn’t sure how long she had slept before she woke up from a sensation, like her arm was being gripped. And it was, Far seemed to be gripping her arm tight, her face tense and whimpering in her sleep. Gemini became concerned, gently shaking her awake. “Far, Far you’re havin’ a bad dream, wake up.” And she did with a start, panting and her eyes darting around the room. “Easy, it’s alright, it’s still nighttime. You were just havin’ a bad dream is all.”    
Far began to calm down, “Yeah...I was. It felt tense. Like I was under a press or something.” 

“Hmm. Don’t like that, you’ve been havin’ a lot of ‘feelin’s’ in this place. An’ that pressure one seems to-.” Far hushed her with a panicked look in her eyes.    
Gemini began whispering, “What is it?”   
“Listen.”   
Gemini began listening. She was straining to hear something. She didn’t get it. It was completely quiet.    
…   
Completely quiet. The window wasn’t squeaking.    
And then after a moment, it began again.    
But it didn’t make them feel any easier.   
Gemini slowly reached for her weapon, as Far did the same. 

Both attempting to move as little as possible. Then Gemini felt Far begin shaking.   
She scanned the room from left to right. The left door was still closed, the stairs were empty, but as her eyes moved to the right side of the room. She saw something.    
The doors were open, and in the frame, they couldn’t see what exactly it was with the low fire and the pitch darkness beyond it. But she saw it. They both did.    
The Red Glow. Like a sphere. Gemini looked over to Far, who’s eyes had a mixture of terror and rage, never blinking, never taking her eyes off it, even as tears began to form. And trembling where she sat. Gemini began to formulate what she felt she should do, however before she could make her decision, Far screamed, “You  **Bitch!** ” And she hurled the throwing knife she had pocketed at it, seeming to hit her mark as a shrill cry sounded from the glow, immediately Far began to shriek in pain as well. Just like the night at the inn. Gemini acted quick as she could to pick Far up, supporting her and running up the stairs to the study, and began an attempt at calming her down, but it wasn’t working this time. She began panicking, looking through her bag for something she could use to fight it off, whatever  _ it _ was. She had no real experience fighting things, least of all when she could barely ascertain what they were. She started mixing some of her herbs with the rancid alcohol she had collected earlier as her water was downstairs. In the process she heard a thud behind her from the stairs, she turned to see the Red Glow on the stairs, a barely visible silhouette from the light of the fire. Approaching as it made a slow, cruel, clicking sound. As if a clock's hand was sputtering for life underwater. It seemed round, with tendrils worming below it, one on the floor with a blade protruding from it. It lifted it to strike, and Gemini froze, she wasn’t done with her life. She had more to do, more to see. She looked down to Far who was curled up clutching her head in pain on the floor. She wanted to keep exploring. She wanted to stay with her…   
The tendril began to shoot towards her, when suddenly the bookshelf beside it fell on top of the Red Glow, its tendrils still writhing from underneath it. Taking the moment Gemini continued to mix her potion. And by the time the thing managed to worm its way out from underneath the bookshelf, Gemini was ready. She stood between it and Far, and flung the contents of her brew onto the The Red Glow, which began to shriek and bubble as bits of it melted off and puddled on the floor, and it retreated down the stairs. Gemini smiled and laughed. Amazed that rancid alcohol did what she thought it would and create a corrosive acid. She stood still panting from the terror of the situation, as the house became quieter, Far whimpering less as the creaking stopped for a few seconds, then resumed again, presumably the creature had left out the window it entered. Gemini leaned down again trying to see if Far was alright. She was untensing, seeming to calm down, but it was a minute before she opened her eyes. “Gemini? You’re okay!” Far hugged her suddenly.   
“Ah, yea, I’m alright. I was meanin’ to ask if you were.”    
“I-I’m sorry… I couldn’t do anything…” Far began crying, “The noises… They were so loud… Saying she would do terrible things to you… I’m sorry…”    
Gemini hugged her again, “It’s alright. We’re fine, the thing’s gone. We’re alright.” After a few minutes Far calmed down enough to speak again. “What happened? I could barely keep track with how loud it all was.”    
“I took ye upstairs to buy some time, then it came up after us. I was tryin’ to mix something to stop it cause I’m uh...I can’t really fight with a knife, least of all whatever  _ that _ thing was. I panicked and thought another potion could solve it, but ah’ ran out of time when it got up here. Then, for some reason that book shelf over there fell on top of it. It bought me enough time to make a corrosive to stave the thing off… But I can’t tell ye’ why the shelf fell over. I didn’t touch it, I’m sure it didn’t. And you couldn’t.”   
Far looked around the room, seeing the aftermath, the shelf overturned and some of its contents spread around. She got up, and moved to the shelf. “Could you help me lift this back up?”   
“Really? Nearly get killed and ye’ start gettin’ concerned about setting a bookshelf back up?”   
“The house helped us. The least we can do is put it back in order.” Gemini sighed as she walked over to help her bring it back up, and put the books back on the shelf.    
Carefully they went back downstairs, checking room by room that they were indeed alone again. But just to be safe, they barricaded the doors leading to the living space, and ensured the windows couldn’t open. Still unsettled they sat together again by the hearth to attempt to sleep. This time it took longer to drift off. But eventually, they did.   
  
Gemini’s dreams were chaotic and uncertain. But after a while, she felt comforted and secure, as her body and her dreams eased. It became comfortable.    
Her eyes fluttered open, noticing the light shining in through the windows. She was laying on the floor, she guessed she toppled over in the night. Shifting a bit, she realized there was something around her. It was...Far’s arm! She was being embraced by her arms as Far laid behind her, pressed against her back. The fluff of her neck wrapped around her own. She was so...warm… Gemini almost didn’t want to move from this position. She enjoyed herself for a little longer, sure Far would stay asleep. After 18 minutes, she tried to get up as quick as she could so Far wouldn’t notice, thankfully she woke up from the last of her movements getting up. Groggily, she asked, “It’s morning already? I actually slept alright tonight. She stretched out of her blanket, her jacket falling over, and Gemini couldn’t help but stare and admire at just how muscular her arms were. She hadn’t really noticed before. Far looked to her, “Is everything alright?”   
“Ah’! Yes! Everything is fine, we seemed to sleep good! Which is good. Uhm. Really I feel I should be askin’ how you’re feelin’.”   
Far began to get her clothes and items ready to travel, “I actually slept really well. Probably the best I had in a while for some reason. Maybe dealing some damage to that Red Glow did something.”   
Gemini looked away to hide her blushing face, “Yeah, maybe it was some kind of confidence boost.”    
The mood that morning was well. Comfortable even with light shining in as they made breakfast over the coals they re-lit. The entire house felt more welcoming somehow, though likely neither of the girls could say why. They spoke happily as they ate, again feeling hopeful, even though the most difficult aspects of their journey had yet to arrive.    
As they were packing up, ready to leave, Far paused. Gemini became worried at this and asked what was wrong. Far continued to listen, then, “I think I hear… Music?”    
  
They exited the house with their things, the snow dissipated a bit from the sun and allowing it to be walked through easier. Far followed the noise to the back of the house, the field. The music growing clearer and clearer until Far found a spot in the snow she was certain it was coming from. She began to dig, finally reaching the ground, and to her shock, finding a scroll that was half opened, playing a radio frequency. And once she lifted it up, the song ended, with a man’s voice speaking through the radio. “Let’s give it up for today’s prize winner! The Faunus girl and her friend in the snow field! Your prize is this radio scroll, take it, or at least save the frequency to your own if you want to get through Glenn.”    
Far looked to Gemini, “Well that’s disconcerting he can see us with that clarity. Should we trust this thing?”   
Gemini shrugged, unsure herself. “Can’t hurt to have entertainment through Glenn if we want it.”   
Far saved the frequency to her own scroll, but decides to keep the radio scroll on just in case there’s something to it, as it continues. “This next track, brought to you by our lucky prize winners, is a personal favorite of mine, and great for road trips. “Sturge Singer’s” “Take a Breather”. Enjoy, and remember, don’t touch that dial, the Nightmare Game is just getting started.”    
Far mumbles, “Nowhere ever has happy names do they?”   
The girls resumed their journey, walking back towards the main path to Glenn. Far stopped for a moment however, looking behind her back to the house, thinking maybe she could see something in the squeaking window, it wasn’t moving. She blinked and it was gone and swinging again. She smiled and gave a soft wave to the house before continuing with Gemini to the road.  
  



	3. The Mountain Glenn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls go through Mountain Glenn, and I can't stop my gay hands from typing shit.

Far was woken up with a start at the sound of the radio playing music. She groaned and got out from her makeshift shelter, to see Gemini preparing breakfast. The radio scroll made no sense to her, the man seemed to make nonsensical statements about people and places, while interspersing it with music of every variety. The most perplexing aspect was the fact she couldn’t close the scroll completely to shut it off, nor would it ever seem to run out of charge.    
The positive push she had after that house was waning as it had been a week since they left it. The snow and her own weariness made it difficult to keep going for long periods. While it was her own pain still that kept her slow, she always insisted it was only fatigue and caution. The cold and constant movement made it harder for her to recoup with her injuries still not recovering. Though her leg was likely to never fully recover. A thought she tried to push back as often as it came up. She had plenty enough to worry about as they got ever close to Glenn. Grimm were beginning to show themselves in their path, thankfully only in singles. She was concerned if she had to fight several at once, what might happen.    
Her worries must have been blanketing her face as they walked since Gemini asked her, “Ya nervous about getting close? We just gotta keep quiet and sneak right through an’ we should be fine.”    
Far, sighed again, her breath clearly visible in the iced air, “I am a touch concerned yes. Because we might get into a problem we can’t deal with. We might not be able to be quiet enough, or that Red Glow could come back for some other attempt at an inopportune moment.”    
“Well then we’ll worry about those if they happen. And fer’ now just focus on tryin’ our best to get through with as little worry as possible.”   
Far smiled at her, “Nothing but squeaking noises seems to get to you huh?”   
“Well uh. I wouldn’t say that. You didn’t see me that night when I ran out of options cause you were in your own state. I’m plenty concerned about fightin’ seein’ as I can’t really do much of it. Ah’ just think it’s best if we keep a positive attitude. After all we made it through that dodgy night with you floored, an’ me freakin’ out.”   
“Please don’t remind me of how useless I was then…”    
“Ye aren’t uselesss. It’s just a bug in your head for some reason. We just gotta get it out, or kill it. ‘Sides at least you can fight. Fat load of help I’ve been with the grimm.”   
Far glanced back to the path and smiled to herself, “If you want I could teach you how to fight a bit. Remember, I  _ was _ a teacher at a combat school after all.” At that Gemini giggled, “Guess I technically will be havin’ a school education after all.”    
The conversation died shortly after, neither of them knowing how to fill the space, with the only noise in the air being the radio playing at Far’s hip. The snow seemed to absorb all sound, yet that didn’t seem to be all of it. The air felt so still up here, like there was nothing moving for miles. After a few moments Gemini spoke up again, “We’ll be reaching Mountain Glenn tomorrow. Do ye think you’ll be ready?” Far thought on it for a pause, “I don’t know. I wouldn’t exactly say I was ready for any of the things that have happened thus far. But I’m sure we’ll get through it.”   
“Well you’re at least bein’ a bit more positive than when we started.” Gemini replied smugly.   
“I’m plenty positive! I was just in a bad mindset.”    
“Pfft! I’ll say! Ye were covered in blood, half dead, and in the rain and mud when I found ye. Then you were hyper paranoid and downtrodden the whole way up.” She laughed lightly, “Funny enough, you’ve been at least actin’ more positive since the house we nearly bit it in.” 

Far looked down, “I’m sorry. I honestly don’t know what came over my mood since I left Vale. Though it felt like even a bit while I was there. I promise it’s not who I really am.” Gemini became a little flustered, feeling guilty, “Ah. I didn’t mean it like it was your fault, I apologize. ‘Sides I’m plenty used to either side by now, and I like both.”    
***   
That night, after they set up their camp and ate, Far stood up, “Alright, your training is gonna begin tonight!” Gemini looked up to her, “Ugh. Do I have to? Thought I could at least have one night off.”    
“Nope! Especially if we go to Glenn tomorrow, you need at least something basic.” Far took her hand and lifted her up, wincing a little as she did. “Now, the first thing we need to work on is stance. Pull out your knife, and show me how you stand when you’re combat ready.”    
“Uh, okay.” Gemini pulled out her knife, standing straight with it out.    
“No no no. You need to lower your center of gravity with your mid section. And widen your legs a bit, I could blow you over with my breath if I wanted to.”    
Gemini adjusted herself slightly, “Like this?”    
Far sighed tiredly, “No, you barely moved your feet, and you haven’t lowered your torso down.”   
She adjusts herself again, “Is this better?”

Far’s face turned back to neutral as she walks over, “No. Clearly you need to be shown more than told.” She stood next to Gemini, and reproduces the defensive stance she was describing. Gemini attempted to mimic her, but Far still wasn't satisfied. “Okay, since you’ve never really fought much, let’s try something else” Far walked behind Gemini, and put her hands on Gemini’s hips, as she lets out an, “Eep!”    
“Calm down, I’m just trying to put you in the position so you know.” Far began moving Gemini’s body down to change her stance, then puts her foot on the inner side of Gemini’s to push them into position. “Is it starting to become a bit more clear what I meant?... Gemini?”   
Gemini was frozen in place staring ahead, before Far softly asked if she was alright, snapping her back into reality, “Huh? R-right, yeah I get what you mean.” Far moved back to her initial teaching position in front of Gemini. “Now hold your knife like you’re ready to attack.” Gemini obliged. “No, your arm is way too far out, I could slap it out of your hand.” She walked over, and gently held Gemini’s right arm, “You want it a bit closer to you, the point is to twist your body outward, putting momentum into your weapon.” Gemini tried focusing on her words, but kept going blank every time Far held her to shift her position. “R-right. Yeah. Could you uh, show me?”    
“Sure!”   
Far pulled out her shortsword, “This weapon you tend to fight differently than a knife, but I’m having it out for visualization’s sake.”    
Their night continued, with Far teaching Gemini how to properly wield her knife. Shifting her position when needed, or guiding her hand when she wasn’t getting it. Though Gemini might have missed a few beats on purpose.    
***   
Far’s dreams were tense. Visions of pestilence and famine. Beasts running free, desolating all land that laid beneath where they walked.    
She woke up, staring ahead of the camp. As she looked next to her, Gemini was still asleep. That was a surprise, she’d been so exhausted that Gemini was usually up before her. She decied to take advantage of the time, leaving the canopy and scanning the area around her. Just patches of snow and pine trees. No grimm were around, which was good, so she had time to prepare food for them and start packing up so they could leave. 

Gemini woke up after about twenty minutes and performed her daily routine before sitting down by the small fire to eat. She finished her food quickly, and began to rummage through her bag, before pulling out several small blue shards of dust, and began weaving them into her hair. Perplexed, Far asked what she was doing.    
Gemini looked up, seeming almost shocked at being asked, “I’m weaving some dust into ma’ hair.”    
Far sighed, “I can see that, what I meant was, what’s the purpose?”   
Gemini looked down sadly, “Back that house, with you on the ground, and me separated from most of my supplies… I had to scramble to do something, anything. If I didn’t have those vials with the rancid alcohol on me, I wouldn’t be able to do anythin’.” She looked up at Far looking determined, “It’s not enough that I learn to fight properly. I need to evolve how I do things too! And keeping dust ready and on hand for a moment's notice is a start. Water dust can help me make quick concoctions at any time, and if I spread other dust through my clothing, I have emergency elemental weapons.” 

Far stared at Gemini for a few seconds before giggling.   
“Ah! Hey don’ laugh at me! I’m tryin’ my best here!”

“I’m not laughing at you. I’m amused by the effort you’re putting in. And the way you’re going about it is so rustic, just having the crystals every which place. Most people weave dust through the very fabric of clothing.”    
Gemini began looking away from her, pouting, “Well I don’ know how to do that. So i can’t less’ you know.”   
“Sadly no. But it would be a good thing to inquire if anyone can teach you at the next town we get to… However far that is.”   
***   
They walked for several hours through the woods, down an old path. Before finally they reached the imposing face of their obstacle. The Perimeter wall of Mountain Glenn.   
There was a large hole they could get through above the foundation. Far frowned at it. If she had to climb, it would be rougher with her leg than she’d want to let on.    
She continued pondering her options as Gemini was already climbing, “Oi! Come on! We gotta get through this place, fast as we can!”   
Far quickly shushed her, “No yelling!”    
She went back to thinking as Gemini scaled the concrete foundation up to the wall. Finally she had an idea, that seemed so simple.    
Activating the thermal pack on her back, she began to use her semblance to collect light around her into the pack. And turning into hard-light she channeled into the shape of a tall step ladder. 

Pleased with herself, she began scaling up to the hole in the wall, where Gemini was waiting.    
“Well it would have been nice if ye told me ya could do that, before I started climbing.”    
“Sorry, I was still thinking of it myself while you were climbing.”    
The girls looked around the street as they walked into the husked ghost town. Decrepit, old, concrete structures everywhere, with exposed beams and rebar. The streets were barren, with cracked roads and sidewalks, dead overgrowth, and patches of snow. The radio scroll’s volume turned itself up loud enough to hear as the man on the other side spoke, “We have with us two fresh contestants to the Nightmare Game! Rules are simple: Get to the other side of Glenn, and get out to move on with your life. Two reminders, all the game hints may not be for you. And trust that the mountain will watch over you. Now here’s a somber tune I happen to enjoy, ‘lamentation’ by The Second Hills.”   
Far furrowed her brow in slight agitation, before gazing up at the mountain that shadowed Glenn, to its North. Was he up there? Is that how he could see everything?

Gemini inquired, “So how long till we reach the other side?”   
Far thought for a pause, “If we don’t have too much getting in our way, we can hopefully reach the other side late tomorrow. But there’s no guarantee of that with this place.”    
They began walking through the empty, echoing streets. It was haunting. The only noise they could hear was wind howling through the streets and buildings. Much like stages of their journey, Far was quiet during this walk. But this time Gemini was too. Neither wanting to break the silence, and keep alert of what’s around them.   
The song that was playing ended after 4 minutes, and the radio host began to speak again, “What a wonderous tune to play through the empty streets of Glenn, don’t you think? I happen to enjoy the macabre nature of our fair city. It’s why I’m so tough on vandals disturbing the locals.” A steady upbeat begins playing, along with an acoustic guitar as he continues, “This next song is more upbeat as a break. But somehow I still find it menacing. Playing now, ‘The Wolf’s side’, by Karan Karan.”    
Far held up the radio scroll in her hands, “Are you certain there’s no way we can turn this thing off? Close it? Anything?”   
Gemini shook her head, “Not that I could find. It doesn’t even run out of power.” 

  
Far continued messing with the device in her hands, but it wouldn’t change off it’s player screen. Only continuing to play music.    
A snarl suddenly came from down the street, and both of the girls froze. They saw several beowolves coming out from behind a building, and Far quickly pulled Gemini into the building closest to them to hide. She peaked out. They hadn’t noticed them. That was good.    
Far looked at the ground frowning, “Oh I get it. I hate this guy.” Gemini looked at her quizzically. Noticing, Far continued, “The song. ‘The Wolf’s Side”. He gave us a hint through his song choice and words about the locals. That there were Beowolves ahead, and we were on their turf.” She looked out again to see what they were doing, and now with the pack she saw an Alpha Beowolf, twice the size of the others. Gemini noticed Far change. She was shaking, and looked infuriated while gripping her right leg. “Hey, you okay? Far?”   
The alpha turned to face down the street, as if it had sensed something, and it began to walk down the street towards them. Far slumped against the wall, not releasing the vice grip on her leg, as she gritted her teeth looking to the door. Gemini in a worried whisper, “What’s happening?” she looked down at Far’s right leg, remembering it was the one severely wounded. Soon she heard outside, a tap, tap, tap, of the beowolf’s claws scraping along the concrete. Getting closer and closer. She couldn’t tell what was drawing it to them. It hadn’t seen them as far as they were aware. And most Grimm didn’t tend to follow scents. Again, she looked to Far, who was in a state of mixed emotions. Anger, fear, panic. And Gemini understood. It was drawn to her negative energy that was triggered when she saw it.    
“Far, you need to calm down, or it’s going to bring them all down on us. He’s coming this way because of your anger.”    
Far’s eyes remained locked on the door, “I can’t. I don’t know how to right now, I just want to get him.”    
The scraping steps grew ever closer, and Gemini began racking her brain for a solution. She took a breath, and sat calmly next to Far, reaching over to her right hand, and held it in her own. Her grip eased, and allowed Gemini to hold her hand in earnest. Far looked over to Gemini who was smiling at her, and her face eased, and her breathing calmed down. She closed her eyes, feeling Gemini’s hand in her own and emptied her thoughts. The tapping stopped.    
Outside, the alpha Beowolf looked around, seeming to lose track of what he was after. And after a few seconds, went back to his pack as the sound of it’s steps moved further away.    
  
Gemini breathed a sigh of release, relaxing and looking over to her, “That’s a relief. I didn’t think holding your hand would actually work.” Far chuckled before she looked down and saw them still holding hands, and she quickly released, “Sorry! I uh, I hadn’t fully come back yet. Thank you.” They smiled and sat for a moment, before getting up. Then noticing the radio began to play music again. Far in a surprised tone, “I didn’t even notice the music stopped when the alpha showed up. I wonder if he’s actually not terrible.”    
Gemini tapped her shoulder playfully, “He said they don’t like vandals, we’re just passin’ through.” And she continued out the door to the street that seemed to now be clear.    
They continued, sticking close to the skeletal buildings. It was a little after noon, and they had quite a journey still ahead through the city.    
  
It was a surreal experience. Parts of everyday life strewn about the streets or inside the buildings. Some shops torn to pieces in a struggle or from scavenging, and some hauntingly left as if they were left in a moment. It was a depressing juxtaposition to the music the radio host played, quieting it down as they got near grimm like a radar.    
They decided to weave through the insides of what appeared to be apartment buildings to avoid the grimm on the street, but as they entered the first floor was blocked by rubble and debris. Moving up to the second floor, Far stared down the dismal hallway. “You sort of forget how dark buildings are without their lights huh?” Gemini continued forward, looking down the walls and into the rooms with open doors with amazement. Far noticed her peculiar positive expression, “You never been in an abandoned town before?” Gemini turned back to her, “I have. But never a dessicated city. Full buildings that people lived and worked in rather than a village. It’s a wonder they got it up and running in the first place.”    
The girls continued down the long hall, pausing to ensure nothing was in the open rooms or behind them as the somber music played to accompany the tone of their current objective. Far stopped at one room, inside she saw what seemed to be the remains of an apartment hit by some stray fire, or perhaps a larger grimm. And next to the door was a husked remainder of a woman holding a child underneath her. It was haunting, yet she could only stare. Gingerly, she closed the door and they continued down the dark hall. As they neared the end of it, the radio host once again spoke, “Good evening, listeners. I hope you enjoyed the last hour of ad-free music. Be on the lookout for new players, for both good or bad. After all, you never know what lies just under some stranger’s skin. I know we’ve all been a little tired of the somber mood, so I’ll only play one more before we head off to a more industrial setting. Coming up next is, ‘The War’ by Varton Mays.”    
A whistle began the song, eerily it sounded as if it were resonating with itself. Far’s eyes widened as she shoved the radio into her bag to muffle it, and she pressed herself against a wall beside a blown out hall window. She peaked out to the street and saw a man walking down it, also with a radio scroll at his hilt. He was hooded and well armed, but whether he was a hunter was unknown. And what was bothersome is whether or not he was friendly. He was looking around the street, maybe looking for them, maybe attempting to figure out his next direction. She decided she wouldn’t deal with it, and signaled gemini to keep quiet and move under the window down the second hall of the building.    
More crumbling walls, more closed or dusty and frozen rooms. Once they got to the end, Far had them wait and listen to see if the man’s radio could be heard by them.    
They waited, only hearing their own muffled tunes. After a moment listening, she was satisfied and they continued down and back onto the street level. As they left the building through a side exit, Far became annoyed looking ahead, to see the Industrial district of Glenn as the music switched to a new genre on the radio. Mumbling to herself, “I really hate how direct his hints are.”    
  
Her body tensed as they walked through the industrial areas. A soft breeze whistled through the open workshops and broken machines. Masses of scrap metal laying in every building of all varieties. She half considered looking for something useful were it not for how little she wanted to extend her stay here. The amount of spaces where something could be hiding and watching them unsettled her. Routinely as they moved between the whistling buildings and wreckage, she’d look behind her cautiously. Sometimes scanning the rooftops around them, or gazing deep into the wrecked buildings as they passed. So much equipment for building gone to waste, left to rot and rust in a city where no one was even willing to scavenge it. It was bothersome how much had gone into this expansion, and how many people perished as a result of it’s failing. Again she looked behind her. Nothing she could see, yet her back felt so vulnerable every time she turned to face forward. She was on edge, even with the radio’s help, it was always on her mind what might happen if they got into a large scale encounter. And god she despised this corridor esque street of industrial husks. With the sun growing ever closer to its sinking point, the shadows lengthened and played their tricks. The skeletal remains of both people and machine, meshing together to form grotesque caricatures of their former forms. And the steady strumming of music from the radio seeming to make their scene like that of a show, adding tense beats and trepidation.   
Finally leaving the industrial sector, Far moved quickly to an alley to put her back against. She breathed a sigh of relief finally being out of that long corridor street. Gemini came up next to her, “Ya good? Ye were like a scared rabbit through there.”    
“I’m fine. I just don’t like being here at all, let’s keep going.” And she continued on, as Gemini looked back at the industrial sector one last time, staring for a moment to see if anything moved as she didn't, before following behind her.   
  
The sun began setting completely, and before it was completely gone, Far suggested they get into one of the taller buildings to make a small camp higher up, away from things.    
On the 4th floor of a building they felt much more secure, but Far was still wary of even starting a small fire, for fear of something seeing the light. Not even to mention the fact there wasn’t too much usable wood in a long since abandoned city, in late winter. They ate cold rations and spoke quietly, discussing the plan for the next day as Far pointed down towards their path below. Then she spent thirty minutes going over combat techniques vocally, as she didn’t want to make noise by moving too much. If possible she wanted to get through this night with nothing even knowing they were there. Once or twice they could swear they heard the flapping wings of a nevermore pass by their building. And once the sun had fully set, the radio host spoke up, “Hope all you players have been enjoying the game and beats so far. Now it’s time to get cozy and rest through the night. A whole new day of thrills awaits tomorrow. But for now, here’s some smooth jazz to soothe the aches of the day.”   
Far asked to take care of the first watch as Gemini got some sleep. It’s not as if she could sleep right now with how on edge she was anyways. She sat in a corner, a few feet from gemini, with a full view of the street below out of a hole in the wall, and the opening to their room, which to her dismay didn’t have a door.    
She saw some grimm pass by underneath or in the distance, occasional howls and roars far off. It was quiet. For the first hour.    
  
_ Hello there Aegis. It’s been a while. _ _  
_ _  
_ She attempted to control herself, she wasn’t scared this time. She was angry hearing the Red Glow’s voice.   
  
_ I know you probably wanted the house to have been the last you had heard of me. But I’m here for one last offer to you. _ _  
_   
After a second, she finally responded, “Didn’t you try to kill us last time?”   
  
_ I offered a perspective if you chose to ignore me still. And you assaulted my messenger. But that’s in the past now. You see, I’m the one who controls the environment around you. And if you choose to stay with your friend, neither of you will leave. So I suggest you be prepared to face the consequences of whatever choice you make. _ _  
_   
Far shuddered at the last words, before she became immediately tense once more, at the sound of a pebble falling down the hall by their room. She stared out at the dark hallway, producing a hard-light spear, and readying herself. The second she saw a hand appear at the door, she hurled the missile towards the open doorway, falling to her knee as pain suddenly shot up from her right leg. She had forgotten she couldn’t lead with it anymore. The spear struck the wall at the other side of the doorway and dissipated as a woman’s voice, in a soft, yet loud enough to hear tone came from the dark, “Woah! Wait! I’m not a bandit or a grimm!” 

Gemini leapt up from her sleep, awoken by the noise and wielding her knife, as Far had her gun pointed to the doorway.    
Slowly a figure appeared holding up a hunter license, it did indeed show her, along with identification of her name. “Hunter”. “See? I’m legit. I’m not here to have a fight or harm you at all, that’d just bring attention to this little camp that none of us want.” “She could have been mistaken for a military scout with her ranger getup,” Far thought. She had a long bow on her back, with a quiver full of arrows beside it, and two larger canisters full of arrows at her hip, and long wavy hair. Far and Gemini didn’t lower their weapons and continued holding their gaze as Far began questioning, “Were you following us? Why?”   
“Well, uh. Ha ha. I heard on the radio to be on the lookout for strangers.” She held up her own radio scroll, “And that he would be playing industrial music. So I went to the industrial sector and happened upon you two. I was watching you for a bit to get a feel for you and which end of Glenn you would be headed. If it were the same as me I was gonna suggest we team up! Safety in numbers and all that.” She smiled as she continued holding her hands up. Exacerbated, Far let out a sigh and lowered her weapon, but not putting it away. Gemini followed suit but maintaining her gaze as Hunter sat with her legs crossed, across from them. Far continued, “So what are you doing in Glenn? Are you also trying to just get from one end to another? Also. Your name is ‘Hunter’ and you’re a huntress?”    
Her smile maintained, “Yup. That’s my name, and profession. Funny happenstance wouldn’t you say? As for what I’m doing, I routinely go back and forth through Glenn, delivering messages or information since people don’t like going through and it’s a long trip around. And if I happen to find something useful or pretty as I walk through that’s a bonus.” She winked at them both. Unamused Gemini sat back and looked to Far, “Well it’s probably enough time that I can take over watch if you want to get some rest.” Far continued watching Hunter before exhaling. She was tired. “Fine, I’ll try and sleep.” She glared at Hunter, “Just know if you try anything, you’ll end up in pieces.” Then Far laid down with her face to the wall. 

  
  
Gemini and Hunter sat in silence for a few minutes, the only noise between them was their synced up radio scrolls playing music softly. Hunter waited until she was fairly certain the faunus woman was asleep to speak, “Feisty one ain’t she? How long have you two been together?” Gemini sat up straight, shocked, “H-huH? Uhm, we uh aren’t together. Just uhm, traveling partners!” Hunter giggled, “I was referring to how long you’ve been traveling together, but clearly that line means something to you at least.” Gemini, flustered and frustrated, turned to look down at the street, “It’s not like that. I mean, we’ve been travelin’ with each other for a few weeks and I enjoy her company a great deal but we’re only friends.”    
Hunter had a wide grin, “Oh? Then I suppose you wouldn’t mind if I took a crack at her?” Gemini whirled back around to glare at her.   
“Ho-ho! That was quite the reaction for someone who’s only a friend.”    
Gemini looked down in frustration. “I don’t know how I feel exactly. And I might just keep it that way since I haven’t the foggiest how she does. Or if she even likes girls.”    
“Have you asked?”   
“No, why are ye tryin’ to be a romance counselor? We were pointin’ weapons at ya not 30 minutes ago.”    
Hunter rolled her head around her neck thoughtfully, “Hmm. I guess I just don’t talk to people outside of my group much, so even just these very small drama things are fun to talk about with ordinary people. And besides, you’re in a hostile area and don’t know me from anywhere, I don’t hold it against you to be cautious.” She leaned back to mumble to herself, “Or hurl a spear at me.” She returned to her normal sit, “I’m personally just in between assignments since I finished one and was heading back to my home, what are you two doing trying to get through Glenn?”

Gemini let out a tired sigh, and pointed to Far, “I ran into her on her way to Vytal Island, so that’s where we’re currently headed. Right now we’re headed for the Eastern side of Glenn”    
Hunter’s smile turned to a face of bewilderment. “You’re… walking to Vytal Island? And you presumably came from Vale? Why?” Gemini looked over to Far with concern, “I’m not sure why she chose this path. To be completely honest she doesn’t seem to know too much of why either. She’s had a bit of a rough go of it since she left Vale, sometimes her mental state is better than others.”   
Hunter then looked up at the ceiling, placing her finger on her chin recalling, “Oh yeah, she did seem injured, after she threw that spear at me, she sounded hurt then was on one knee. She was clearly trying to keep herself looking stable while I watched you two.”    
Gemini looked at Hunter in surprise, “She did?”   
“Mmhmm. You haven’t noticed her walking kind of weird? Or trying to hide her wincing as she climbed over objects?”    
Gemini’s expression became shocked, “I...I don’t haven’t really… I s’pose I just thought that. That she would tell me if she wasn’t doing well and needed to stop or slow down because of it. She always just said we took those breaks because she was tired.”    
Hunter extended her legs, leaning back and staring at the ceiling, her body seeming completely at ease, “Oh, she’s one of  _ those _ types huh?”    
“What do ya mean?”   
Hunter began rolling her head around her shoulders again, “Oh you know, a girl who doesn’t want to concern people with their issues. They try and hide anything that bothers them ‘cause they don’t know how to deal with people being concerned for them, and don’t want to burden others.”    
The two of them sat in silence for a full minute before Hunter finally spoke again, “Well. Gonna be a long trip tomorrow. So since I’ll assume you don’t trust me to keep watch, I’ll go to bed.”    
She laid on her side and closed her eyes as Gemini continued to sit quietly. Staring at nothing in particular. Her eyes finally went to Far who, besides her breathing, was completely still. She wondered if she had just not paid enough attention? Nothing got by her usually, she was able to read when Far was deceiving her like a pictured book. Was Far getting better at hiding it? Or… Was it she was simply distracted? Not looking at her leg or thinking about her injuries. Why did it bother her so much she didn’t notice? Why did she care so much?    
She attempted to push the thought back in her mind as she looked down at the street. Though, it never really left the rest of the night.   
  
In the morning they wasted no time, quickly grabbing their things and eating rations that didn’t require cooking, Hunter had her own supplies and had no signs of being threatening. Though during their meal she continually gave Gemini knowing looks as she glanced away, Far conversely maintained her watch on Hunter. Taking notice, she winked at her. Far’s eye twitched in annoyance.    
“Y’know you don’t have to glare at me. I’m a licensed hunter, and am just passing through, same as you.”    
Far maintained her eye contact, “Just because you’re a hunter doesn’t mean you’re trustworthy. People can fake ID’s. Get into places they shouldn’t, and get people killed.”    
“Oof, sensing some hostility from past events.”   
Far said nothing.    
After the somewhat tense breakfast, the group began descending the building they were in and reaching the street. Even with the soft music playing on their radio scrolls, the streets seemed barren and hollow.    
Hunter began skipping down the street as Far and Gemini looked on, bewildered at her carefree attitude. But they followed behind her. They walked for a few blocks before the music stopped, with the host speaking for the first time since the night previous, “Looks like the last of our audience is up and ready for the day. Traffic seems a little barren today, but keep an eye out, you never know when a red light may appear and someone blind sides you. Defensive driving is a must in crowded cities like our own fine town of Glenn. To help get you up and going, a bit of an active tune, playing next is ‘Falling Girl’ by Talkers and Mockers.”    
Far simply mumbled under her breath, “God I’m sick of him.”    
Hunter pivoted on her heel to face them again as she walked backwards, “Eh, he’s not bad. You get used to his hints and banter. Plus I’m a fan of his taste in music”   
“I hope I’m not around long enough to get used to his banter.”    
“You know you’re kinda cute when you’re upset.”   
Far continued to eye her, but otherwise not responding as Gemini was absorbed in her own thoughts.    
What could she do to help Far? She sounded so confident when she said plants could help her. But all she had given is pain relief and things that would at least allow her wounds to close. But she has a piece of her calf missing. What on earth could she do to help that? It’s not as if she knew of some kind of plant or salve to regrow or replace flesh. Even with her semblance, she could only stimulate growth in plants with her aura, not people or animals. Something with dust perhaps? She didn’t know much about it beyond her small uses. She felt similar with Aura. It was a thing she had wanted to pursue, but hadn’t had the time or resources when her father was teaching her how to run a business, or when she was out studying plants. Maybe once they reach another major settle-    
Gemini lurched forward about to fall when Far quickly grabbed her by the waist to pull her back, as Gemini was staring down a sinkhole to a second husked city beneath the one they stood. Far turned Gemini to face her, “Are you okay? You just walked right into that, what happened?” Gemini was flustered, “I-I dunno. I was lost in thoughts…”    
Far breathed out to calm herself, “Please. Don’t lose yourself right now, I need you.”    
Gemini snapped up and seemed to sober, “R-right, I’ll be more careful.” Hunter was looking down the sinkhole, “Yeah these things aren’t exactly uncommon, and one tumble down there could easily be the end of you. If you don’t land on a high up building.” They continued as Gemini asked, “Why is there a whole city underneath the regular city?” Hunter and Far became quiet for a moment, before Hunter finally answered, “The surface city was lost, so all they had left was the sub system connected to the transit rail… Then that failed too. And people died.” She was direct, and her stance more rigid as she walked. Gemini inquired, “Bit blunt way of putting it don’t ya think?”   
Hunter’s tone became slightly more aggressive, but not losing control, “And how else would you have liked me to say it? People were put here to live, they were failed by those who sent them, and most died. And some got out, and some never made it home.”    
“Got some axes to grind have ye?”   
She mumbled, “Oh you’d best believe.” The mood died as the music also shifted to a darker, more melodramatic tone. Hesitantly Far asked, “Aren’t you from a kingdom?” Hunter continued walking without turning, “No… I’m not. Nor do I want to be. I lived in a kingdom long enough to get my hunter’s license at Haven, then returned to my family with no desire to remain.”    
“Don’t care for the crowded nature of it?” 

“That part certainly doesn’t help. But it’s the bureaucratic nightmare of the leadership. Vale barely managed to get by, even with the help of Atlas’ military during the attack. And that’s not even to speak about Atlas’ leadership problems… and their priorities…”    
Far looked down at the ground as she walked, “At least on that we’re agreed.”    
They walked in silence for several minutes until Hunter spoke up again, “I’m actually from a small village near here. Well. More of a tribe really.” She turned around to face the two girls and was smiling again, “They’re my family, and also our location is why I come through here so often. We live a bit isolated from the ‘normal’ populace I guess you could say. And with my sort of lonely jobs, I quite enjoy the company of people along the way.” Once more she turned to face forward, “I have no intention of attacking you. That’s not something we do unless we feel under threat.”    
Far couldn’t help letting out a giggle, “Well I can assure you, we don’t want any fights we can avoid. So you can rest easy.” 

After an hour of moving through the empty streets, with only the music producing noise, Gemini finally gave a suggestion, “Oi, Hunter, you want to ask questions and exchange information to pass the time?” Far smiled as she looked at Gemini. Remembering this weird game she played with her, with her smug face put on.    
“Oh? What did you have in mind?”    
“Simple. You ask a question to one of us, we answer. Then one of us asks you a question, of just things you or us would like to know.”   
“Hmm. Alright then.” Hunter thought for a few moments before finally coming up with a question, “Where are you from Gem?”    
“I’m from a decent sized village Southwest from Vale called, ‘Midnight Valley’.”    
“Oof, Grim name. Never been there.”   
“So now it’s my turn. What’s your family like?”   
Hunter began rolling her head again, “Hmmm. Well there’s a lot of them if we mean the whole tribe. Directly, I only knew my mother who passed several years ago. And now I mostly hang around my two friends; Forager, and Journeyman. We’ve known each other since we were kids. They’re like brothers to me.”   
“Boy ye whole group likes simple names huh?”    
Hunter chuckled, “We tend to focus more on direct qualities in naming than abstract meaning. We don’t even have our names until we grow older. Makes greeting each other when we’re kids a little harder.” They came to a divide in the road, with both roads leading to sinkholes. “Looks like we’re going through another building. Riveting.”    
  
This one told a similar tale as the others Far had seen. Desolate, dusty, and dead. In some cases the evidence of death was rather literal once more, others more subtle in the form of mummified goods, stripped and rusting machines, and overgrowth, hollowed by the winter. “Okay, so my turn again.” Hunter cheerfully declared. “What about you, faunus girl? Where you from?”   
“My name is Far. And I’m from Vale where I worked until the incident at Beacon. Though I’m originally from Atlas where I got my Hunter’s License.” 

Hunter got to a locked door blocking their path, and began to try to coax the door into opening. “Short answer. Why’d you leave cushy Atlas? Couldn’t hack it with the big wigs?”    
Far channeled the light around her into her pack, shaping a hard-light battering ram. And, leading with her left leg, rammed into the door, sending it inwards and breaking half of the hinges. “I believe it’s actually our turn, but I’ll be polite and answer.” She turned to smile at a momentarily stunned Hunter, “I was born in Mantle. And left Atlas when I saw it becoming more divided and harsh as time went on. With no way I could see for myself to help it.” Then she gestured for Hunter to continue leading the way.    
They continued with this back and forth, though with more mundane questions after that one. Far shared how she was a teacher at Beacon, and details of her life there. Though she left out details from the night of Beacon’s Fall. Gemini talked about her research and travels up to that point and some details about her home village. How it was in an easily protected valley, but got it’s name of “Midnight” for the fact sunlight is blocked for two thirds of the day from the rocky walls that protected them. Hunter merely shared day to day life habits of herself and her tribe, though to Gemini, seemed somewhat coy on details of what they did or why in particular they lived isolated from society if they weren’t criminals. The day was going and Far was enjoying the conversation as the sun headed for the horizon. Soon they would be out of Glenn and well on their way, and she couldn’t be more ready to leave this desolate city. Something ate at her however. The words of the Red Glow last night and the fact nothing had been happening all day. No grimm, not even a sound of them. No signs of any other hunters when clearly there were at least two besides them, counting Hunter. And the Radio host had made hardly any hints or announcements, just switching between music all day. It might not have meant anything, luck was an abstract concept that could come and go after all. Yet it still made her uneasy.

Whether by her own paranoia or the mood actually changing as the sun descended, lengthening every shadow around them. There was a threatening stillness in the air. Too still and quiet for it to be a mere lack of wildlife because of Grimm. She began to look around herself, observing everything around her for signs of some kind of threat or pursuit. She was no longer focused on what Gemini and Hunter were talking about, her every focus was on finding the threat. Threat. Threat? Why did she feel threatened? Was she psyching herself out? She quickly turned to look through a blown out bakery. There was nothing there, yet she swore she saw something looking her way. They moved to an alley, and she felt trapped suddenly, looking behind herself to ensure they weren’t being blocked off as they entered. Gemini took note of her actions, “What’s goin’ on? You’re getting jumpy again, and bad things usually follow that.”    
“Hasn’t it been far too quiet all day? Not just silent, completely still. No Grimm, not even a sound of wildlife.” Far began to hush her voice, “I’m not feeling easy, and I think we might be in a spot of trouble before we get out of this place.” The radio clicked, pausing the music as the host spoke for the first time in hours, “Hope you’ve all been enjoying this chilly yet sunny, late winter day in the streets. But all you kids out there better get to bed, as it looks like the locals are coming out in groups to enjoy a bit of that sweet sweet nightlife. And trust me, they get wild and rowdy.”   
Gemini bumped into Hunter who was suddenly stopped. “Ah geez! Hunter, a bit of a warning before you’re just plannin’ a pause ya?”   
Hunter murmured, “Oh gods I’ve screwed up. I was too absorbed and used to the grimm not paying me any mind.”   
“What are ye talkin’ about?” Hunter turned with a worried expression blanketing her face, “But I’m with you. She’s right, it’s weird we haven’t encountered a single one when we should have had to avoid a pack or two, or even fought. Something ain’t right.” She turned to confirm their path was open. “We may have to run the last of our way out of this town, somethings happening right now, and we’re in what could be the wo-”    
She was cut off by the wall to the left of Far exploding in front of her, separating her from Hunter and Gemini. And in between them was an Ursa Grimm that had burst through into the alley. The bear-like monster’s imposing frame taking up almost the entire width between the buildings as pieces of the crumbling ruin fell, filling up the rest of the space behind the creature. Far instinctively summoned her hard-light tower shields. She wasn’t going to just go down again.   
  
Gemini was in shock before she felt a tug on her arm, as Hunter was leading her away from the Ursa, “Ah-Wait! We aren’t just going to leave her!”    
“She’s a Huntress, even injured she can handle that, for now we have to get out of this alley!” As if confirming her reasoning, their path was swiftly blocked by two beowolves, who snarled at them. In an instant, Hunter let go of Gemini, pulling out her bow, and deftly knocking back three arrows at once, and releasing them. Two hitting one Bewolf in its skull as it fell to the ground, and one bouncing off the second’s boney head plate. It lunged as Hunter caught it’s neck, holding it back, and jabbing an arrow into its eye as the inky fluid spurted out of the socket. She got up, but had no time to say much as she looked out to the street, where three more beowolves were waiting. Thinking as fast as she could as they were stuck in this side alley, she saw a fire escape up one of the buildings, and grabbed Gemini, “I’m going to hoist you up! And you try and find a safe position up ahead! I’ll go back for Far and meet up with you again!”   
“How’re you going to get out of this?!”   
Hunter lifted Gemini up to get her knees on their shoulders, “Don’t worry about that! I’ll be fine!”    
Gemini hesitated, but scrambled up the ladder, which buckled as she climbed onto the rusting decrepit structure. She jumped into the nearest window as the structure fell behind her into the alley in a cloud of dust. She tried to look down to find Hunter, but saw no sign of her. Just dust and the sounds of combat.    
  
Far stood firm, ready for an attack. And as one came she blocked with her left shield, and then swung with the pointed tip of her right one into the Ursa’s gut, sending it stumbling back. “Tch.” She couldn’t hit it as hard with how careful of using her leg as a brace she had to be. She couldn’t just be on the defensive like usual, and so she held up her left shield, channeled her aura into her entire left arm, and charged at the beast, knocking it back into the building from which it had come.   
They crashed through together into an old diner, dust flying off every surface from the impact as the ursa tumbled through splintering tables and chairs before getting upright, only to be met by another impact from one of Far’s shields sending it the ground, she stood above it, raising her shield up with the pointed tip facing down, and slammed the shield into the beasts meaty neck, wrenching its head from its shoulders. She exhaled after the fact, before refocusing and returning to the alley, attempting to climb over the rubble blocking it. Her leg injury burned as she rushed over the wall, landing on her left leg so as to not fall over from the pain. She didn’t see anyone however, just the dissolving corpses of 3 beowolves. She was beginning to panic. Where had they gone? Where was Gemini? Was she alright? She ran to the street, again looking for a sign of where her friend had gone. She was becoming distressed, this was bad, they’d find her in an instant with how much negative energy was coming off of her. She began running down the street, and with the fading light approaching ever closer to twilight, it was becoming harder to see finer details, what would she do? She couldn’t leave her here. Finally she spotted another dissipating corpse of a beowolf half inside of an alley. Without a moment’s hesitation, she ran to it, only to look down and see a long corridor between the buildings, going down for blocks. With openings on either side of the abandoned residential buildings and clouds overtaking the sky to become overcast, blocking any light. This was a nightmare situation if she’d ever seen one. But she had no choice, this was her only idea of where one of them might be.    
She entered the corridor. Passing behind each of the large apartment buildings. Or perhaps they were townhouses? She couldn’t be completely sure from this end. Her eyes darted from side to side, looking streetward down each alley she passed cautiously continuing forward. Each one empty besides trash and rubble. Until she paused after one, looking back down it. She was certain she had seen it again. Those piercing red eyes from before, yet it was no longer there with nowhere to hide. She continued to the next alley, looking down it this time as she passed, and for a half second she saw something. Some...shape. It wasn’t the lack of light playing tricks on her. She didn’t think. She moved down to the path, and as she passed the next alley, once again she saw for a half second something there that darted out of view...But it seemed closer this time somehow. How could it move closer as she moved past the alleys it had been in? Once more she walked, and again, the same thing occurred. The shape left her field of vision behind a shadowed piece of rubble or debris. And every time somehow closer. Several feet each time she passed one. 20 feet. 15 feet. 10 feet. She stopped before looking down the next alley. She was close to the end of the line of townhouses that ended at a park. But what stopped her was another feeling. A feeling that if she walked passed that next alley she would die. She couldn’t tell why, just that it seemed like some premonitive thought in her mind. And yet… she accepted that reality. She readied herself, and took one step, before hands shot out of the back door of the townhouse she was beside, grabbing her and covering her mouth, then pulling her in.   
***   
Gemini looked down the long halls of the building she was in. It was dusty, and almost...sickly. If a building could indeed get sick. There were so many doorways left open which she didn’t care for. Full of rotting papers, desks, and chairs. As well as some file storage rooms, and ones that looked as though people had camped there. But that didn’t matter, she had to find a way back down, safely, to find Far and Hunter, wherever they were... She began cautiously moving down the main hall she was in. Surely if she simply moved about, there would be a stairwell she could descend, or a collapsed corner of the building to drop down. Turning down a hall, she quickly hid back behind the wall she passed. Looking down she could see a grimm at the end of the hall. Large and imposing, with a gorilla-like frame, a Beringel, poking around at some rubble, looking for something. While not rare, they were at least an uncommon sight. And in this case certainly, an unwelcome one. Carefully, Gemini moved back, holding her pack as steady as she could to not produce noise. But as she began to move back, there was a crack under her feet, as part of the floor was giving way. In her mind, “Seriously? I hardly weigh a thing!” As the floor fell out, with Gemini jumping to stable ground while the floor crashed in loud waves. She was trying to not panic, she only had a few seconds before it came running to investigate, and she ran for the nearest room, hiding behind a cubicle and under a rotting desk as she entered. And she waited. Attempted to calm her breathing and not be loud, as she heard its thumping gait in the hall. She could hear it sniffing the air. “Did it even have a way to smell things?”, she thought. And to her horror, she heard it enter the room and stop just behind the cubicle wall she was beside. It grunted loudly looking over first the neighboring cubicle, then before it did her’s, she quickly ensured her entire person and belongings were under the desk. She could hear it musing to itself as the cubicle wall buckled under its weight peaking over. She was desperately attempting to stay calm as she clutched her knife in shaking hands. It felt as though it were looking for half an hour before she felt the cubicle wall release as it took its weight off it. She then heard it’s loud thumping steps return to the hall and down the path she had come. She exhaled suddenly, desperately attempting to fill her lungs, realizing she hadn’t been breathing. Gemini waited for a moment to ensure it wasn’t returning so soon, and while still shaking, had to force herself to leave her hiding place. Carefully she peaked out from the desk first, then seeing there was nothing in the room, slowly moved out from her cubicle. Looking down the hall, she saw no sign of it, but could hear the beast rustling down and in one of the rooms around the corner of the hall. Then she moved to where the floor had given out from beneath her.   
Looking down the hole It didn’t inspire confidence, but she had no real desire to aimlessly wander the second floor of this building any longer. And so finally she readied her knife, and dropped down.    
To her bemusement she landed in what looked like an old dentist’s office. She was in office space before.    
Somehow the equipment left here appeared even more horrific to her in the descending light and old nature of it. She had never been to a dentist much, she took care to keep herself as healthy as she could manage. There was never any particular fear of them until this moment surrounded by their devices as she activated the light on her scroll. Attempting to bolster herself, “It’s alright, it’s fine. Just have to find Far and we’ll be alright, we’re gonna get outta here.” Moving through the office, she felt unnerved at the sterile white look to it all. Even through years of neglect, that unsettling visage didn’t wane, and she felt she understood people’s fears of this sort of place. It seemed so unnatural and impersonal, the cheerful, occasional, wallpaper or rotting poster only seeming to reinforce that alien sense of relation. The images on them seemed to almost be melting in visions of humanoid faces. Or maybe it was the moss and the light she was shining on it.    
After a moment of wandering from room to room, she found the waiting room with the exit ahead of her. She was elated to see the street for once, quietly repeating to herself, “We’re gonna get outta here.” As she moved forward heedlessly, she heard a woman’s voice beside her,    
“I wouldn’t be so certain about that.” 

  
  
***  Far was pinned to the wall of a kitchen in the townhouse, with Hunter covering her mouth and putting a finger to her lips before slowly, as quietly as she could muster, closing the door to the alleys. Far nodded after calming down, and Hunter released her grip. Immediately Far asked in a whisper, “Where’s Gemini?” Hunter had a look of shame, “I haven’t seen her. I got her up one of the buildings to safety. And I was going to continue looking for her until I was chased myself by that thing out there.”    
Far was getting impatient, “What do you mean thing? They’re all things, and you left her alone around them? She’s not a Huntress!”    
“Please remain calm. We’ll find her. What I mean by ‘thing’ is it’s a Beowolf Alpha.” Far stiffened at the mention as her fingers curled inward. “But it’s not just a regular Alpha. It’s… It’s messed up in a way I’ve never seen. It had multiple arms, and more bone spikes jutting out of it in random patterns to give it spines. It was way faster than the ones I’ve seen.”    
“And it’s the thing that was in the alley right outside?”   
“It was right outside?!”   
They stopped talking as they heard scratching at the back door. Hunter looked Far in the eyes, “We’re going to leave out the front door, now!”   
  
They began running, flinging the front door open as they heard the back door crash open. Looking they saw 5 beowolves blocking the path back down the road they had come, so without a choice they ran towards the park, the sound of howling and snarling pursuing behind them. The beowolve’s calls were answered by a louder, more forceful one from the alleys to their sides, but they had no time to look as they ran into the park of stone paths, dead trees, and dessicated bushes. They came to the center of the park, a large fountain, long since dried up and stopped before it. Next to the fountain was a beringel grimm, standing imposingly on its hind legs, and at the top of the fountain, was the tentacled red orb, with Gemini in its grasp. Her face cut and bleeding with tears in her clothes as it held her by the neck, her arms having to hold herself up so she won’t suffocate. And again, that soft, welcoming, familiar voice. But this time it wasn’t inside Far’s head. The orb was speaking.

“I assured you there would be consequences. Did I not?”    
Far was furious now, “Let her go now!” The orb made no motion, “Or what? I’m well aware of how your semblance and fighting work. You don’t have any light here to use for your weapons. The sun is down, and the sky clouded, and if you wish to use your mockery of the grimm, I can simply immobilize you again. Make no mistake,  _ you _ are at  _ my _ mercy at this moment.”   
Hunter looked at Far confused, “Mockery of the grimm?”    
At that moment they heard howling behind them, the 5 beowolves were standing lined up, with the alpha parting them to stand in the front. It looked like a distortion of a normal alpha, with 2 additional front legs and random, chaotic bone spines jutting out of its back as Hunter said. Its faceplate was split at the side, to accommodate 4 eyes in one of its sockets, looking every which way. Far and Hunter stood with horrified eyes at the grotesque creature standing before them as the orb continued, “Beautiful isn’t it? I suppose you could say you’re a test case for this creation.”    
Far’s eyes darted between each of the wolves, unintentionally stepping back as her and Hunter’s radio scrolls turned on again. The familiar voice finally speaking since silencing himself, “In the game you sometimes get to an unwinnable situation... But you can’t run from nightmares, kid. Least of all this one.” It was the most direct statement he had said since they first heard him. As if he were speaking directly to her. She steeled herself, and began to approach the fountain, before a shrieking sound pounded in her skull again, stopping her.    
“I told you before. There isn’t a way you get out of this. I’m going to have you sit and watch as I tear your friend limb from limb, and once the other two are dead. Then I’ll end your futility.”   
Far looked up, still holding her head from the pain, “Y-you! Aren’t doing! A Damn Thing!”    
Her faux beowolf pelt began to lift, and fill in with the hard-light frame, as her pack burned the red dust she had to fuel it. Hunter now looked to her in shock, watching the frame of a larger than normal beowolf, overtake Far’s. With hollow eyes, and hard-light spikes jutting out instead of bone.    
The tentacled orb continued to not flinch, “And yet you still insist upon this futile effort. Do you honestly believe you could stop the beringel in your state? You’re weak. Physically wounded from your own lack of power or ability, and mentally from your failures to protect the life you held so dear. You already have nothing, this is merely snuffing out the last bits of light in you.”   
Gemini, still in it’s tentacled grasp, saw Far struggling to hold herself up, and looking in terrible pain, just like at the old house. She had to do something, she wasn’t a victim, and she wouldn’t let her friend suffer on her account, she hoisted herself up enough to be able to speak, “Far! Get ready!” Immediately the tendrils tightened their grip around her neck, she had one shot, and not much time. She took as deep a breath as she could muster, and released her grip to reach into her bag as the tendrils began to choke her in earnest. Gemini knew her bag better than anyone, and hoped to god she’d guess correctly for what she was looking for. She felt a crystal, and hoping it was the correct one, channeled her aura up to her head, activating all the dust she had weaved into it as she tossed a yellow dust crystal towards both her head and the creature holding her. The dust all erupted in a violent explosion of water, electricity, and rocks. She felt the grip on her neck loosen and she wrenched herself free, but only before falling into the fountain and being entirely too disoriented to move, the entire world around her cloudy and spinning.    
For Far, the screeching in her head ceased as she saw Gemini’s head erupt in an elemental discharge, her eyes widened, and focused entirely on the temporarily stunned tentacle orb. The radio turned its volume higher than she’s ever heard, playing loud, chaotic themes, and she lunged.    
  
5:00   
  
The Beringel ran to intercept her, as she twisted the beowolf frame to one side, jabbing a hard-light spike into the ape creature and flinging it out of her way. Nothing would stop her in this moment, she was taking a part of her life back, and wouldn’t stand to live in fear of an unknown threat any longer as she reached one of the beowolf frame’s large claws out to pin the orb against the fountain’s center structure. The orb was charred, wet, and had sharp rocks jutting into it, and defiant as ever, “You miserable lit-”    
Far didn’t wait and crushed it beneath the claw, the sound of it popping like a grape, and spurting her with its inky black liquid, making her ecstatic and excited as she turned to face the rest of the grimm, and Hunter.    
  
4:43   
  
Hunter was still in complete shock after the short span of events that occurred. Looking up at what she assumed to still be Far, standing over Gemini. Though she couldn’t see Far, only her faint, hooded, silhouette underneath the beowolf skin. The frame’s hollow eyes staring down at the rest of them. She snapped herself out of it, for now she had a powerful, if peculiar, ally. And she promised she’d help Gemini.    
She ran off to one side, jumping up into one of the dead trees as she fired several shots into one of the plain beowolves, dropping it instantly. Pulling out red dust tipped arrows, she fired at the feet of the Alpha setting the ground in front of it ablaze in a hope for it to be intimidated or at the very least apprehensive. To her dismay it stepped into the fire and through it, ignoring its own singing flesh and fur and moving towards the fountain as the regular beowolves and the beringel ran for her tree. “Always the eventful one, Hunter...” She fired several shots into the beringel which stabbed into the beast’s chest. Failing to slow it down, the ape creature lunged into the tree as Hunter desperately jumped out at the last moment, broken and dried branches falling all around her.    
In the next instant the remaining four beowolves ran at her, she readied herself to defend, before noticing the beringel now descending above her. As one of the beowolves lunged at her, she jumped back, leading the beringel to crush the beowolf's boney head beneath its oversized fist. It turned and roared at her before grabbing one of the beowolves at its side and flinging the creature at Hunter. She yelped in shock before quickly ducking, as the poor beowolf was splayed out on the tree behind her, its spine making an audible snap as it fell limp and began to dissolve. “Boy, no real sense of unity among you boys, huh?” Before she could continue her quip to the monsters attempting to kill her, the beringel charged as the two remaining beowolves ran to either side of it to flank her. Before it could close the distance, Hunter readied her bow, along with blue tipped arrows, firing at the beringel’s feet, freezing them in ice and momentarily halting him as she then ran towards the beowolf on her right. The creature halted its charge in surprise to be met, while Hunter jumped atop its snapping head, flying over it and loosing three different colored arrows into the creature’s back. As she landed the beowolf’s back burst open in a shower of glass as Hunter took cover behind a tree. “Okay, two left, now where-” before she could finish, the beringel swung around the tree, pinning her against it with its massive hands. The beringel began to crush both her, and the tree she had attempted to hide behind. She could barely move her arms as it crushed her against the wood, the tree groaning and splintering against her. She flipped one of her large arrow canisters at her side to have the back face the beringel’s midsection. She could barely breathe as she flipped a switch on it, and in an instant, every arrow in the canister fired into the ape at once, sending it stumbling back in shock and leaving Hunter to fall to the ground, coughing and attempting to catch her breath. She looked up to see the beringel stumble, and finally erupt in a fountain of elemental bursts; fire, electricity, glass, ice, all flying along with chunks of the creature’ body and splinters from the tree it was beside. But before Hunter could celebrate, behind her she heard a growl from the last beowolf.   
  
Far ran to intercept the mutated Alpha, tackling into the imposing figure, who held firm after being pushed back a few feet, it began to bite down onto the beowolf frame’s shoulder, clearly it hadn’t grasped where she was. She pulled out her shortsword, stabbing up towards its neck, but it pulled back and she instead stabbed upwards into its jaw. The creature batted her away with its powerful arms, snapping the shortsword in two to release its jaw, and it began to run at her.

  
  
4:14  
  
She barely had time to process with how fast it was, as she twisted to face her hard-light spines towards it, and it proceeded to mimic her, jabbing its own porcupine like hide into her frame, several of its spines going into her left arm as she yelled from the pain. It wasted no time, shifting to tackle Far’s frame to the ground and finish it. She held it’s jaw back with both of the frame’s claws, but the Alpha grabbed onto them with its own four arms, attempting to wrench them out of it’s voracious path, the wild blood red eyes all looking directly at her. She pulled out her self defense gun and fired her entire clip of ballistic rounds into the beast’s cluster eyes as it actually recoiled from the impact. Tossing her gun aside, she rushed along with the frame for their attempt to tackle the Alpha onto its back. She could almost feel herself getting pumped in the life or death situation, her blood dribbling from the spines in her arm and the rage she felt from the threat to her friends. She toppled it, but now in a reversal, its arms were holding her beowolf frame’s claws at bay. Its snarling gaze fixated directly onto her as their arms struggled against each other. She tried to think quickly. If she didn’t hurry she’d be out of time. Panicked, she was falling into her usual habits in the suit, wanting to get more violent, to just tear it to shreds as she did before, if she could only reach it. She remembered that night suddenly. The bandits. Remembered all the dust cartridges from the bandits who attacked her on the first night she left Vale. She reached into her waist satchel with her right arm and pulled them all out. She pryed the creatures jaw open with her boot, shoving her entire fist full of phials into the Alpha’s throat and letting them go, receiving more lacerations from the beast’s teeth on the way out, as she channeled her aura into her fingertips activating the last phial in her hand.   
The Alpha’s neck began to rupture, as its head exploded in a burst; chunks of flesh and the black fluid that seemed to compose the creatures flying everywhere, along with bits of ice, rock, and some other materials, and its arms finally fell limp.   
  
2:47  
  
She looked up to see the beringel explode in a shower of elements and Hunter now on the ground. She wasted no time as she saw the last beowolf approaching behind her, and ran with her Beowolf Frame to intercept it, closing the distance in 15 seconds. As the beast was lunging to bite into Hunter, and she was attempting to get her bow ready. Far caught the beast’s neck in the frame’s jaws, and in a deft motion, tore its neck out.   
She was panting, attempting to catch her breath after everything, her eyes wide and her body shaking from the pain and adrenaline. She switched off her pack, allowing the frame to dissipate and the fur pelt to fall back around her shoulders. She felt exhausted, and her leg burned from the pain of all that movement. Moving to Hunter, who was staring at her with a bewildered face, she held out her left hand to get her up, only to finally realize the large bone splinters in her arm still. It didn’t hurt enough to ground her yet, but she wasn’t looking forward to it when the adrenaline wore off. She then extended her right arm which Hunter accepted, “You keep fun company,” Hunter said in a pained voice.   
Far laughed a bit, “You’re the one who tagged along.” After lifting Hunter up, Far immediately limp ran to the fountain, kneeling by Gemini and holding her upright, her head covered in soot, “Gemi! Gemi! Are you okay?” She began to shake Gemini trying to snap her awake. “Gemini! Gemi! Wake up!” She began shaking her more violently and panicked, as Gemini's eyes opened. First, coughing up soot, in a rough voice, “P-please stop s-shaking me. Mah head’s spinnin’, I’m gonna die for real if you don’t.” Far gasped in surprise, and obliged, then hugged her as tight as she could muster, again Gemini let out softly, “Okay. I’m happy you’re alright also, but please I need oxygen right now…” Far let go, “Oh! Right. Sorry my bad.” Gemini saw Far had tears in her eyes as she continued, “I just. We got seperated. And Hunter didn’t know where you were, and I thought you might’ve not made it. Or worse just been lost for good… Then Seeing you stuck like that, a-and then you blew your head up!” She was attempting to laugh through her shaking voice.   
Gemini put her hands on Far’s shoulders, “But I’m fine! See? We got rid of that damn red glow thing. And uh,” She looked around at the several dissolving grimm corpses. “And it looks like the two of ye did pretty alright without me on the fighting front.” She looked down to see the large bone thorns sticking out of Far’s left arm, “Christ! You haven’t taken that out?”   
Far looked down at it, “Oh I uhm. I just noticed about a minute ago before I ran over, but it’s fine.” She was smiling.   
Gemini shook her head, “No. It’s not. And neither are you. I’m dealing with that the second we’re safe.” Gemini stood up, shaking a bit from her disorientation before finally stabilizing herself. She held her hand down for Far, “And we’re stopping at the next town till we get each other ready for the rest of our trip.” She had a wide-grin.   
Far accepted and Hunter finally spoke up, “Touching reunion and all, but in all seriousness we should book it out of Glenn for certain this time. I don’t think we could deal with much more tonight.”   
They agreed and Hunter supported Far as they began to make their way towards the other side of the park, heading for the eastern wall of Glenn, as the radio chimed up once more, “We have some lucky winners of this Nightmare Game. Gaining a bit of self confidence, or maybe a rew-” Far grabbed both her and Hunter’s radio scrolls, shoving them into Gemini’s bag and covering them with cloth to muffle their noise. “Not now!”   
  
The three women made their way to the wall, and found an unlocked gate with Hunter’s help, that allowed them to descend easily into the woods beyond, following the path in front of them. They all looked back at Glenn one last time, the full moon now clear above the skeletal city. And Far couldn’t be more elated that part of her journey was over.


	4. Chapter 4: Beyond the Vale Mountains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally a moment of relative peace in a secluded village.  
> Were we all so lucky.

The three women walked for over an hour, away from Mountain Glenn and their experiences in it. Mostly in silence, happy to simply get away. Though there was the occasional groan from the three of them as the adrenaline began to wear off.  
Satisfied they were far enough, they finally made a light camp, although none of them attempted to do anything extravagant.  
After a moment sitting by the fire and Gemini bandaging Far's right arm, Hunter broke the silence, “Soooo uhhhh. Mind if I ask you about the crazy thing where you suddenly had a beowolf puppet?”  
Far stiffened at the mention, “O-oh. Right. It’s uh. I guess you could say it’s a last resort sort of thing. My semblance heavily impacts my weapons; and so without light, or without much of it like at night, I burn a collection of red dust to power my pack for a bit longer to use the beowolf frame. And the hard-light frame just fills in the fake pelt I wear.” She gestures to the faux pelt over her backpack.  
Hunter stared bewildered for a second, “So if it’s your strongest way of attacking, why only use it when you have a time limit?”  
“Uh, well. People would just get a little freaked out seeing someone turn into a Beowolf, so I try to not use it if I can.”  
Hunter hesitated before responding, “Yeah I suppose that’d be jarring to see.”  
“Speaking of, you didn’t se-”  
Gemini cut her off, “Before you continue, we’re dealing with the bone splinter now.”  
Far looked back to her partner tentatively, “Uh… I mean, we could wait just a bit on it right?”

Gemini stared at her, “No. It could get infected if we don’t remove and bandage it now, not even to mention the trouble it’ll cause if we get in another fight and the fact you're still bleedin'.”  
“Well, I mean we can just maybe give it another couple minutes.”  
“Nope. Why are you being so weird about this? Haven’t you dealt with injuries while conscious?”  
“I-I mean I have, I’m just a bit nervous about having a piece of detritus ripped from my arm.”  
Gemini quipped back in a half mocking tone, “Then talk with Hunter to distract you while I do it. I’m sure she’d even hold your hand if you like.”  
They both looked back to the archer who was watching them with a smug grin, “Seems more like you two are the ones who want to hold hands.”  
Far scoffed, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, clearly we are jus-AAGH!!”  
In the time she was talking, Gemini quickly pulled the bone thorns out of Far’s arm.  
“Gods! A warning! Please!”  
Hunter laughed at the situation as Gemini simply looked at Far with an unblinking expression, “But it’s out now. Hardest part is over since it’s not that big a wound to need stitches. Hopefully with your Aura and some bandages you’ll be alright.” 

Gemini began to work on cleaning and disinfecting the wound as the camp fell silent again. Far watched quietly as Gemini worked, she was so direct and confident with the movements of her hands and fingers. As if she had done this thousands of times. Her face looked a bit troubled however, as well as a bit charred still. Far was about to ask if she wanted help getting ash and soot off her before Hunter started again,  
“So, speaking of Aura and semblances, how does yours affect your weapons? I get you said you need light around, but why?”  
“I did mention that, huh? I can manipulate light. The best one for me is UV because my pack can absorb a good portion more of it than my body can. Then the pack emits the energy as hard-light, which I shape into something I’m deeply familiar with the structure and make of.”  
Gemini looked up from her work, “Mine is the ability to transfer my Aura to plants, allowing them to grow faster. Not much use for combat, so it’s fine to let you know.”  
Far looked back at Hunter questioningly, “What about you? I don’t think I noticed anything in the fight, but I was a bit preoccupied.”  
Hunter didn’t speak for a moment, “I uh. I haven’t found my semblance yet…”  
“Really? How old are you?”  
“Uhm… Twenty One.” She was looking away from them.  
Far looked back at the fire, “That’s peculiar. Usually people find or manifest their semblance by the time they’re adults if they're huntsmen. Even so it was impressive what you could do without one.”  
Hunter continued looking away, “I do my best. Didn’t want my new travel partners dying with me after all.” After a moment of silence she bid them goodnight and laid with her stuff, facing away from them and the fire.  
After Gemini finished with Far’s badnage, the two of them also went to bed. It didn’t take long after their ordeal for Far to black out.

***

Her sleep wasn’t peaceful, but it wasn’t as monstrous as it had been. Perhaps the death of whatever that orb was calmed her a touch. 

She was awoken by sudden music in her pack. Groggily, Far got up. She groaned, “Gods, I forgot the stupid radio host…”  
Again, a chime rung as the host spoke, “This message is specifically for the group of girls that won last night’s game. If you could leave your radio scrolls anywhere around you, that’d be swell. So as to allow people coming back this way to have them for their jou-”  
Before he could finish his instructions, Far hurled her and Hunter’s radio scrolls as far away as she could muster. She breathed a sigh of relief and looked over to see Hunter was already awake and cooking food.  
She smirked, “That seemed a bit extreme. How am I gonna listen to music on our trip now?”  
Far continued watching her, unblinking, “I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”  
“You really don’t trust me still, huh?”  
“Not entirely, no. While you did help us through there. We also met you, seemingly at random, in a ghost city.”  
Hunter served the both of them some of her food as she smiled again, “True, but you’ll see I’m no threat to you.”  
Gemini continued laying, pretending to be asleep as she listened to their back and forth. Far seemed so distrusting of Hunter. Which maybe she should be. They hardly knew a thing about her after all, and anything they do know could have been lies. Somehow she didn’t have any problem trusting Hunter though. Nothing from her facial or body language gave Gemini any reason to suspect her. The only time she looked away from them while talking was about her semblance. Which could have been either lying or shame. Maybe she’d keep an eye on her further.

***

It took them two weeks of journeying with sparse talking to reach the first village past Glenn, Seelie Sotto La Luna, though Hunter mentioned they usually just referred to it simply as, “Seelie”. Far struggled the whole way with her brand new injuries she seemed to be amassing like a collection, with Hunter needing to fight off any grimm they came across.  
Standing at one of the entrance gates was a woman clad in a hybrid of studded and banded armor, with her arms crossed. She had tanned, dark skin, amber eyes, and thick, curly, hair down to her neck. And she was looking directly at the three of them.  
Hunter leaned over to the two other women, “Leave the talking to me. She’s pretty chill.”  
As they approached the gate, Hunter skipped up to the woman, “Hey Topaz! Long time no see. You’re looking lovely!”  
The woman stared at Hunter with a skeptical look, “Hunter. You’re not here to cause any mischief this time I assume?”  
Hunter scoffed, “No. I don’t want to deal with another of your lectures in the holding cell.”  
At this Topaz smiled, “Good. So who are these two with you? You usually show up alone.”  
Far spoke up, not about to let Hunter speak for her, “My name is Far Aegis. This is my friend, Gemini.”  
Gemini chimed in, “We’re hoping to be here for a while, if you have an inn of some sort.”

Topaz smiled, relaxing her shoulders and extending a hand to the both of them, “It’s wonderful to meet both of you. We don’t get any new faces around here. And yes, we do have a small inn for the occasional traveler or trader that stops by. Even though it’s small I’m sure you’ll have everything you need.”  
She then explained how to get to the inn from their current location before turning back to Hunter, and sternly, “As for you. Keep out of trouble right now, I mean it. We’ve been having trouble with those punks up North lately and I don’t want to worry about anything else.”  
Hunter rolled her eyes as Gemini spoke up again, “Also we’ll obviously need to pay for our stay. Do you have a hunter board here?”  
Topaz looked a little uncomfortable at the question, crossing her arms again, “Uh. Well. Not per say. We have jobs that need to be done. You’d just have to a-”  
"Hello! Wait but a moment!" She was interrupted by a slender man, dressed in black and white, running up to them, “Excuse me!” He got up to them panting, “I was told Hunter was approaching with two huntresses with her. Is that correct? Are you two huntresses?”

Far looked at Gemini quizzically, then at Topaz, who simply shrugged. “Yes, I am a huntress. Why?”  
The exasperated man slicked back his salt and pepper hair, “My name is Oliva Kral. I am the mayor of this village I guess you could say. And if you two were staying here a while, I- we could use some help. If you’re interested I can tell you more in my office.”  
“Well, we were going to stay here a bit, but why didn’t you ask Hunter?” As the words left Far’s mouth, she looked over to see Hunter was no longer there, but walking into town with Topaz. “Oh.”

***

Entering his office, Far was taken aback at just how cluttered and plain it was. In some ways it reminded her of the office she held at Beacon, albeit minus the clutter. The curtains were half drawn, allowing the dust filled light to blanket the bottom half of the room-the only light the man seemed to have was a desk lamp.  
He invited them in, pulling out their chairs for them, before briskly walking to sit at his desk.  
They all waited in a painful silence for someone to begin the negotiations, before Far finally spoke up, unable to bear the awkwardness, “So what kind of work, and what kind of pay?”  
Oliva stared at her, stunned, “My, you’re direct. The work is numerous jobs around our village. More precisely outside of it. Hence why they’re needed and haven’t been done. Topaz is capable, but we need her protecting the village.”  
Far shrugged, “Yes, I suppose you’d get attacked a bit, being so close to Glenn.”  
Oliva looked at her puzzled before realizing what she meant, “Oh no no, we don’t deal with Grimm attacks very often. Quite, quite rare actually, they for some reason stay on the outer parts of our border. What we do deal with however, is a… troublesome band of miscreants up North. But you needn’t worry about that. As for payment, being so remote, we don’t have much in the way of lien, but we can fully waive your expenses for your stay. Eating, staying at the inn, and of course any equipment you may need worked on.”

Far was about to say something before Gemini spoke up, “We’ll accept it. What kind of things do ye need done?”  
“Oh no! Don’t worry about it tonight. I’m certain you two are tired from your trip, stay at the inn, take the night off from thinking of work.”  
The women eyed him warily before standing up, and began to make their way to the exit, before Oliva spoke up once more, “Ah! W-wait a moment, there’s one last thing. Um. If you happen to go out at night. And see a large, yellow-eyed bird. Don’t be alarmed and um, please don’t attack it.”  
The girls looked back at him in confusion, “Bird?”  
“Y-yes. It’s never done any harm, simply visited and watched.”  
Far was perplexed, but more so wanted to simply leave this office, “I’ll keep that in mind. And uh, not shoot the next bird I see.” 

Leaving the office, Far immediately began questions, “So why did you suddenly speak up for us?”  
Without looking back up at her, “You were tempted to refuse him. I made sure you didn’t since we’re staying here until we’re both in proper condition to move forward. Once you’re able to fight as good as you can again,” She looked up to Far, smiling, “And I can fight at all.”  
Entering the inn, they spotted Hunter eating at the bar. Gemini walked up to join her, as Far reluctantly followed.  
Noticing them, she waved playfully, “Hey there. How’d the job interview go?”  
Far didn’t answer, simply ordering her food, as Gemini gave a response, “The good news is they do have work available here, but he wants us to take a break till tomorrow.” Hunter, still with her mouth full, "Well thatph was niph of him." She quickly swallowed her food, "Oliva is kinda spineless but he's good people." Gemini nodded her head, "He seems fine 'nough. At least not seemin' like he was tryin' to deceive us or some such."  
Gemini and Hunter chatted for the duration of their meals and after the innkeeper informed Gemini and Far their rooms were ready.  
Far got up and began to head out of the inn.  
Gemini called after her, “Where are ye going?”  
Far turned back, “Going for a walk.” her tired voice betraying her placid expression.  
Disappointed, Gemini turned back to Hunter, “You doing anything tonight?”  
Hunter was in the process of getting up and collecting her things, “Yes actually. I need to head back to my tribe to let them know I’m alright.”  
She smiled patting Gemini on the shoulder, “Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll have plenty of fun trying to court her or whatever while I’m away.”  
Gemini’s pale face turned crimson, “For the last time, there’s nothing going on!” she settled again as Hunter laughed and left.  
She continued sitting at the bar, staring at nothing in particular. It was the first time in a long while she’d just been alone.

***

Far walked through the town as lights were extinguished for the night. Looking up, the moon was close to full-with hardly a cloud in the sky, bathing her environment in a comforting glow.  
She found herself scaling some of the stairs of the perimeter wall to look at everything around her. From the wall she could view the layout of the whole village. Seeing each section, the mayor’s residence, the inn they were staying in, the large river that ran through, and the monolithic tower in the center that looked over all of the village.  
She took a deep breath of the cold air, leaning against the wall and gazed out. She hadn’t had a chance to sit alone with her thoughts in a while. Although her thoughts were pretty clouded until just now.  
“Hey there.” 

She looked over to see Topaz walking up to join her, carrying a lantern at her side.  
Far chuckled, looked like she’d go a bit longer before being alone.  
“Good evening.”  
Topaz set her lantern down between them as she stood beside the faunus, “Out for a stroll of some sort? Everything go alright with Oliva talking with you?”  
Far began to observe the Huntress, “It went fine. He offered us some work with tasks around your perimeter.”  
Topaz looked the part of a huntress, certainly. Armed, a confidence in her stance, and yet also a weariness. Far couldn’t be certain how old she was, but it was definitely older than herself.  
“Yeah, he’s been on about old pieces of property the village had for a while. Some old farmsteads, supply sheds in them and such. Because of our remote location, not many hunters are really chomping at the bit to get out here- and as such, anything that I can’t do has gone neglected. You’re probably being seen as a divine gift to him.”  
Far rolled her eyes, “Oh I’m sure. Nothing divine about us. It would explain his sort of desperate tone. Though he seemed a bit neurotic to start with, even before saying to not attack the ‘big, yellow-eyed, bird’.”  
“Oh you mean the Nevermore.”  
Far looked at her in shock, “The What?”  
Topaz's relaxed posture remained, her expression neutral in contrast to stating a grimm visited their town on occasion. “Yes. There’s a yellow-eyed Nevermore who visits our village. They’ve never done anything besides simply watch, and perch on high places. If you’re out and about they may watch you, but they’ve never done anything besides that. Watch.”  
Far’s mouth was agape, staring at the woman speaking so plainly, “Are you... Are you lying to me right now?”  
Topaz burst out laughing, “No, I’m not. But it is a pretty unbelievable situation isn’t it? They’ve been coming around for about five years now. It was about a year after I got here.”  
A quiet settled between them again. This one was much more natural than the office. A comfortable silence. Eventually Topaz picked up the conversation once more,  
“So how about you? Got any special reason for being here?”  
Far sighed, “We’re going to be here for a bit to get our bearings. The smaller one and I are on our way to Vytal Island.”  
Topaz eyed her with a confused gaze, “You’re… Walking. To Vytal Island?”  
Far sighed, wearily, “Yes. It’s a long dangerous journey that I should have died in several times over. Part of why we’re staying here. I’m still pretty beat up, and Gemini doesn’t know how to fight much. I’ve given her a few cursory lessons, but she’s still not able to fight someone fully trained.”  
“If you’d like, I do have some free time in my days, if you two aren’t working I can help train her in weapons you may not be proficient in. More tools in the toolbox and all that. Plus it would be nice to talk with you two just to get some fresh stories and news since Beacon went out.”  
Far stiffened at the mention, clenching her hands before releasing them,  
“Yeah. I’d be appreciative of that.”  
At that moment, a shadow passed over them, Far got ready for an attack as Topaz simply put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. 

And at the top of the tower Far could see it. The Nevermore. It wasn’t fully grown, but as she had been told. It had glowing, yellow eyes. It perched on the tower in the center of town, and seemed to zero in on the two women, staring directly at Far. And Far stared right back. 

***

In the morning Far was relieved to be able to have taken a hot bath and slept in a bed. She met with Gemini, and once the two felt ready, they began to walk towards the tower in the center of town where Oliva’s office had been.  
Gemini kept sneaking peeks at Far. She seemed… brighter? Maybe it was simply being able to wash her hair and clean off proper. Or sleeping in an actual bed. Or no longer being in a life or death situation. Maybe she was simply perceiving her differently?  
As the two of them walked to the Mayor’s office, Far started,  
“So uh, how was your night?”  
Gemini looked up at her puzzled, “It was uh. Fine. It had been a while since I had time to just myself. Then I got to take a hot bath, and sleep in a bed. So pretty good by the standards of nights we’ve been having.”  
Far giggled at her ending as Gemini returned the favor, “How was yours with your walk?”  
“It was… interesting. The town was beautiful at night, with the moon shining down on it. I made my way up onto the wall to watch it when I ran into Topaz, and we talked for a while.”  
Gemini began looking away from Far, “Oh yeah? About what?”  
“Hmm. Just normal stuff for the most part. How our meeting with Oliva went, what we were doing, stuff with the village. And then also about the uhm. Yellow-eyed bird. Which I saw, also.”  
Gemini was still looking off, “Oh? Did anything seem special about it?”  
“You could say that. It was a Nevermore.”  
At the mention, Gemini’s head wheeled to look at Far again, “A Nevermore? Like the giant Raven grimm?!”  
She was quickly attempting to study Far’s face for something. Some sign this was a weird joke or distraction. But instead she looked as perplexed as she was. “Oh gods, you’re serious aren’t you?”  
Far stammered something to the affirmative as they entered the central tower, “It was real weird. It just perched on the tower and stared at us. With its peculiar, glowing, yellow eyes.” 

There weren’t any more words until they reached Oliva’s office. He seemed incredibly eager to get to business, clearly brewing tea but forgetting entirely to serve even himself some before he sat down. “So! First job is pretty simple.” He pulled out a map of the region to indicate to, “We had a storehouse a little ways away. Full of seeds, some feed, and a few other assorted things. I told you Grimm tend to stay outside our perimeter, and that’s sadly the reason we need hunters to clear out places we lost a while ago. Then we can move in and take what we need and actually be able to build with, and use the materials here.”  
Far stared at the map for a moment, thinking. “Is that it? There’s just some Grimm there?”  
He looked as though someone demanded he divulge whether or not he was married. A question he entirely didn’t think he’d be asked, “W-well yes. There’s Grimm there.”  
Far was still thinking as Gemini interjected, “We’ll get right on it.” And she began to drag Far out of the room.  
Once they were a comfortable enough distance from the office Gemini again tried observing Far, this time just to get a feel for why she was so puzzled. “Why did ya sound so shocked about the job? Don’t huntresses usually have missions to just wipe out some grimm?”  
“I did on occasion. Very occasionally. Solo I was usually an escort to protect someone, and in my… “ She suddenly paused mid thought. “My uh. My team, together we’d clear stuff out on occasion, but normally we had an objective. Killing Grimm was a given, not the goal.”  
Gemini pondered asking about their team, but decided that would be for another time. It seemed plenty sensitive a subject.  
“So is there anything you want to take care of ‘fore we head out?”  
“Yes actually. I want to see the local weaponsmith. I have some ideas of what I’d like worked on, and we need to give you ideas.”

***

“So let me get this straight. You want two longsword blades that fit into gauntlets, and can be extended out when not sheathed, but still attached to your arms? Is that right?”  
Far stood in front of the burly weaponsmith, she could swear he had a whole head on her in height, “Yes that’s right. I don’t have quite what I need right now to be offensive.”  
She tried to stay as placid as she could with this bear of a man towering over her.  
“Well alright, I can do that, but it’ll take some time. And I can’t guarantee you it’ll be much more than exactly what I described.”  
“That’s fine.”  
He looked over to Gemini, “And you ma’am? Got any weapons you need smithed or worked on?”  
Gemini shifted uncomfortably, “Not yet. Still figuring out what it is I’m after, don’t want you wasting your time or efforts on something I won’t use after all.”  
The smith huffed, “Fair enough. Just stop on by when you think ya do.” 

The two of them exited the shop together and Far began to lead the way to out of town. As Gemini caught up Far let out a large sigh. Gemini eyed her, she looked relieved.  
“Ya good? Not used to dealing with men that large?”  
“No, not in a while. Not since Beacon…” Her face turned cold and distant as Gemini looked back ahead again,  
“Right. Sorry. Didn’ mean to bring up bad memories or lost people…”  
Far, quickly attempting to brush it off, “Oh no! Uhm. He isn’t dead, wasn’t even hurt that badly, thank goodness. It’s just. We became good friends over the course of the previous year, and I… He was the only one I told, that I was leaving. And I left everyone there.” 

Gemini glanced at her occasionally, but maintained silence for the moment. She was clearly bothered by it, but this was a minefield of baggage and poor questions.  
“Ye weren’t in the best state of mind then. Even you say it’s like a haze looking back. I’m sure none of your friends hold it against ye. Just maybe a bit concerned for your well being if anything.”  
Gemini looked for a reaction, but Far was looking off to the side of the road, that cold face still there. Dang it! That just made her more concerned!  
What was she supposed to say? Sorry? Wanna go back? It’s not as if they could contact them with Beacon’s tower knocked out. And the mail? They were so far out of the way, and people can walk faster than the postal service.  
She remembered what Hunter said the previous night, and became frustrated.  
It’s not like that… At least. She kept telling herself that.  
It was far easier to try and bury it alongside the uncertainty if the pining is worth it, rather than risk any sort of adverse interaction.  
No! Snap out of it.  
We’re on a job, and need to be professional. Besides, don’t even know what will happen in the future. 

As they approached the location marked on the map, Far gave signs for them to keep quiet, and climb up a small incline.  
At the top, they could see the storehouse in a small 30 ft wide clearing in the trees, a little ways off from the road.  
And surrounding it was a pack of Beowolves, but without an alpha.  
Four of them, and they weren’t doing anything besides meander around the storehouse. Some were laying around it, not even making any motions. Did they know it was important?  
Gemini’s thoughts were interrupted by Far speaking in a hushed tone, “So how confident are you feeling in combat right now?”  
That caught her off guard, “Eh, not great. I could distract some of them and hurl any corrosive phials I have. But I don’t have much practice actually fighting Grimm with any weapons.”  
“I could leave one injured for you to get experience.”  
Caught off guard yet again. Gemini looked over to Far, hoping for some comedic expression. But all that met her gaze was Far’s cold, placid, expression. She wasn’t even looking at her, Far was staring at the Beowolves with those stone eyes.  
“That uh, seems a bit morbid dont’cha think?”  
Far continued without hesitation, “Not really. They’re just beasts of destruction anyways.” Her gaze turned to Gemini, “It’s not like they’re alive to feel pain or fear.”  
“I uh, I think I’ll just try my best to fight, if that’s alright with you, Far.”  
She shrugged, “Fine with me. There’s only four, and it’s getting to be noon. Should be fairly simple.”  
Gemini startled as she turned to see Far putting her hand on her shoulder and smiling, “You’re gonna do great. Just remember what I’ve told you so far, but don’t let it be the only thing in your head.”  
Gemini was now further perplexed. In that moment she looked normal. Or at least the normal she had come to know. Best to not think about it.

Next thing Gemini knew, Far was already mid stride towards the Grimm, summoning her hard-light tower shields as Gemini attempted to catch up.  
The Beowolves all seemed to perk up, observing the people approaching, and beginning to ready their own attack.  
One of the standing Grimm broke rank to charge at Far. The black wolf lunged at her with its fangs bared. And Far braced her left shield in front of her just as the Beowolf crashed into her with a thud.  
Wasting no time, she brought her right shield around to slam into the beast’s side, knocking it back as the other three creatures began their approach.  
Gemini frantically rummaged through her bag for whatever she could use from a distance. She only had three corrosive phials, and some crystal dust that would be difficult for her to use without a medium.  
She hurled the corrosive phials at the nearest beowolf. Howels rang out as the glass containers shattered against its fur, melting away at its form, dripping the black ooze it was comprised of down to the ground. And it turned to charge at her.

It closed the gap in just a few seconds, leaving Gemini without much planning time. She panicked, holding out some red dust and channeling her aura into it. She didn’t know how to use dust in its raw form, all she could do was picture her aura like a cone away from her, and hope that the flame’s didn’t bite her.  
Budding flames streaked out from the dust in her palm, riding the Aura like a trail of gas, out away from her, and straight into the beowolf. It howled one last time before being completely eaten away by the flames, and left to dissipate into the air.  
Gemini was sitting on the ground with her arm still extended, momentarily in shock before noticing Far had already dispatched two of the other Grimm. Now only one was left. 

Far was on the ground holding one of her shields up to keep the grimm at bay as it continued to wail on it, seeming to not understand the concept of a block in the way.  
Acting entirely on instinct, Gemini ran up and leapt onto the beowolf’s back, causing it to begin flailing around uncontrollably. She stabbed her knife into it just to get a better grip, and began to think more. She had done one risky thing today, what was another?  
Finishing that thought, she reached with her free hand for a piece of Orange dust in her bag, and gripping both it and her knife in one hand, let out a, “Hope this works out how I think it will.” And activated the dust with her aura.  
Lightning struck through her blade into the beast causing it to convulse, finally sending her flying off and into the ground.  
Looking up she saw the beowolf, still smoking now turned towards her, and slowly approaching. She tried moving to reach for her bag, but her left side was paralyzed,  
Shoot! Did I fry my arm?  
She attempted to move along the ground with her functioning side as the wolf crept closer.  
It got as far as her legs before she saw a hard-light block slam into the beast’s back, flooring it.  
Far stood above it, pressing her good leg into it’s back, and raising one of her shields with both hands. And slammed the pointed tip into the beowolf’s neck, severing it in a clean cut. 

The last beowolf began to dissipate as the two women caught their breath. After a moment of silence in the field, Far moved to gemini’s side, smiling, “That was pretty reckless. But I’d say your first trial by fire went pretty well huh?”  
“Well maybe ah’ can get a bit reckless next time ye need something patched up too.” Gemini was supporting herself on her right arm and putting on a defiant tone. She kept it up for a few seconds further before cracking a smile, and they both began to laugh.  
“Seriously, is your arm gonna be okay?”  
Gemini attempted to move her left arm, only managing to rotate her shoulder a bit, “It’s more than just the arm, the leg too. I imagine it’ll be better in some time, but not soon.”  
Far thought for a moment before positioning herself under Gemini’s right arm, and lifting her up.  
Gemini began protesting, “Wh-hey! Ye can’t keep me up when you still got your bad leg!”  
Far, still smiling, “Hush, I can at least move my bad leg, unlike you, Gem. I’ll give you support for the way home.”  
Gemini mumbled something to the affirmative and they started their awkward three legged walk back to Seelie. 

***

They walked in relative silence for a while. Gemini wasn’t sure what to talk about given the turn their conversation took on the way to the storehouse. Far seemed to be back to normal, as far as she knew her anyways.  
Gemini looked up at the sky as they walked. It was sunny. A nice change of pace from most of their trip here through Winter. Thank goodness Spring was coming soon.  
The air was cold and breezy, but the sun was warm at least. And the plants were beginning to grow green again, not just the grass.  
Gemini unintentionally lost a bit of focus, relaxing her head on Far’s shoulder they walked.  
She assumed it was fine, at least there were no protests or questions about her doing it. And they remained in that position until they returned to the village and were greeted by Topaz and Oliva.  
He was simultaneously ecstatic at their return, and anxious about one of them having to be supported by the other returning.  
After explaining it was temporary and not of serious concern, he insisted they return to the inn and rest as he rallied the men he needed to recover everything from the storehouse. 

***

Far got Gemini to her room, and laid her down into the bed, "You gonna be alright? Need me to get anything for you?"  
Gemini made an intentionally thoughtful expression, taking a while to respond, "Some water an' food might be nice. An' maybe you keeping me company for a few minutes."   
"Sure, I'll bring you something from downstairs. Try not to run off while I'm gone." She smiled and got up to leave.  
"Oh! She tells jokes now, looks like not only winter is melting."   
Before closing the door, Far peaked her head around the corner to stick her tongue at Gemini.

Gemini stared up at the ceiling and let out a sigh of relief.   
It was nice to be able to just talk with her. Not be ready to head out first thing in the morning. Not need to worry about being attacked at any time of day or night. Not having to be camped out in the freezing woods.  
It was a pleasant experience to simply exist. Plus she didn't mind being on the receiving end of care and treatment for once.   
She closed her eyes to rest until Far knocked and opened the door, carrying a tray with water and a bowl of soup.  
Gemini immediately greeted her, "Ah, welcome back nurse. As ye can see, didn't run off." She said smugly while tapping her unfeeling left leg.  
"Ha, ha. Are you planning on acting this way every time I manage a joke with you?"  
"Nah, just need to savor the moment." Gemini watched her set the tray on the table beside the bed, she was smiling.   
Then she looked over to the tray and giggled, "I noticed soup, I don't know if you noticed, but I can't really hold a bowl or tray while using a spoon."   
Far looked at the tray then back up at her and slapped her palm into her face, "Geez, I'm sorry. I was just thinking in terms of hot soup."   
"It's not an issue. Althouuuuuuugh. I may need you to help me eat said soup."  
Far blushed slightly, "Ugh. Fine if I have to. And you're alright with it."  
She grabbed the bowl and spooned a bite of the soup to hold it up to Gemini's mouth. She ate the spoonful of soup, then gently took the spoon with her right hand and began laughing, "I sort of meant hold the tray or bowl for me, but I'm glad you're so willing to play my caretaker."  
Far's face erupted into a crimson as she quickly set the bowl back down and hid her face behind her hands, "I am so sorry..."

After a minute of having to reassure Far it was alright, she held the tray while sitting on the bed next to Gemini while she ate.   
Gemini wanted to keep some kind of conversation going while she ate, and while she wasn't sure if it was the best time, she thought she had to try at least.  
"Hey, Far?"  
"Hm?"  
"Before I ask a question I'm curious about, I'd like to remind you it's looked down upon to assault a bedridden woman."  
Far laughed, "Okay, I won't maul you, what's up?"  
"Could I ask you about Atlas? Like what it was like when you lived there?"  
Far went silent.  
Gemini began to shift uneasily, assuming she had wrong timed it again before Far began to speak.  
"You want to know the whole thing? Or just when I was in the academy or as a huntress?"   
Far was looking at her earnestly. There was some pain in her expression, but it lacked any sort of anger. Gemini suddenly felt more comfortable in asking, "Would you mind the whole thing?"   
She smiled softly at her before leaning into the bed, "No, I wouldn't mind. You'll be the first person I've told the whole story to."   
Far took a deep breath and began, "I wasn't born in Atlas. Or at least if I was, not in a way that mattered, cause my childhood was spent in Mantle on the streets. I didn't know my parents, whether they were killed in some dust mine accident, or didn't want or couldn't afford me. Hell, I could have been the illegitimate child to a noble for all I know. I spent my time in foster care, or whatever passed for it among the slums. Stealing what I could eat, and generally almost getting into trouble many times since no adults could be spared to watch an unruly girl."  
Gemini noticed she was actually smiling during this part of the story. Only for that expression to fade the next second.  
"Then one day I got caught. My semblance manifested early, I guess due to my survival. It certainly made taking things easier when you could suck the light out of a room.   
But that made me a bit more noticeable in my own way. I was put in an empty room, with Atlas security offering me an ultimatum. I could be punished for all the food I had taken, or I could be lifted up above the clouds. To go to school with the high and mighty Atlesians." This last sentence had a particular cadence of disdain to the words.  
"I think it was obvious what choice I made. Next thing I knew I wouldn't see the slums for over a decade. I was thrown into an educational school and told to get working to be useful."  
"Was it difficult?"  
Far's eyes twitched slightly in irritation. Not at Gemini's question, but at the memory.  
"Turned out I was well suited to academics, the arts, and even being physically capable because of the crap I dealt with every day. Atlesians don't like being shown up. Least of all by a faunus who they didn't think had any right to be at the school.   
It was endless harassment from my first day to my last. The nice thing about coddled youth though, is you can easily shut them up with a fist. I didn't care about my status, I would already never be accepted by them, and as far as I was concerned, getting kicked back down to Mantle would just be a return to the norm."  
Her fists were balled, and Gemini pushed the tray aside to reach her functioning hand over and hold Far's. In an instant, the fist eased and her fingers uncurled as she held Gemini's hand back.  
"The training school was a bit better. If for no other reason than how well you could break someone's arm was on display. There isn't much to say on it."  
"Then there's..." She hesitated, "When I went to Atlas Academy. And I was made leader of a team. We were chosen for how well we performed, not how well we worked with each other. This was apparent with how adamantly one of the women on my team insisted it was a disgrace for her to be led by someone like me..."  
"And you had to deal with that for four years? Did she get any better?"  
Far had a scowl, "No. If Mox wasn't there, I'm confident I would have killed he-" She cut herself off, "I shouldn't joke with that sort of thing."  
"She was a bad person, I think you're allowed to."   
Far's scowl eased and then turned into a look of melancholy, "Not when someone on my team did die. I left them as soon as we graduated because I couldn't stand her. Then they went on a mission without me. And only Mox and the pompous one made it back. I wasn't even much of a friend with our third teammate but... It still haunts me. If I had been there, maybe she wouldn't have died. If I had withstood just a bit more of the constant annoyances, someone's life could have possibly been spared.  
Mox was my only friend in that whole school. And she was the one who told me to stay with her. That we'd figure it out together. That we could be just a pair of huntresses doing jobs together." 

Far remained silent for half a minute, calculating how to say the words she knew she had to.  
"I ran. Whatever destiny Atlas wanted for me, whatever Mox and I could have been. Whether things could have turned out better. I never knew cause I ran. I left my things with her, and got on the first ship out of Seagate to Vytal. And I wandered.   
Took a train to Vale one day, and while looking at the Hunter's Board, I was approached by a white haired man who suddenly offered me a job to be a teacher of all things." She had a faint smile, "And I suppose that section is best saved for a different night."  
Far immediately got up once she was done with her story, "I think I'm gonna head off to bed. If you need anything please let me know."  
And she left before Gemini could protest or thank her for telling her everything.

Far quickly wiped away a tear forming in her eyes as she headed to her room.   
Gemini would be fine, just bed ridden until at least the next day.  
Once again, Far found herself alone at night, though this time in her room at the inn.  
Alone again with her thoughts and feelings. But she chose this didn't she?   
She turned out the lights to open the window and gaze at the street below her; the occasional person walking late at night, a bird or two flying by, or seeing as lights began to dim around the town as people ended their days.  
She sat on the windowsill letting the breeze flow over her. She didn’t mind the cold, being from Atlas. It was neither comforting or perturbing. Simply a state she was used to being in, familiar.  
Thinking back to her conversation with Gemini about her old life, she began to run over events leading up to her current position.  
Beacon, her stay in the hospital, her sudden departure and subsequent injuries and the beginning of her torment with the red glow.  
She looked out at the village, scanning the buildings, every dark corner and alley it could have been hiding were she not certain she crushed it.  
Had that time in the woods really been the beginning of it’s plan with her?  
There was no real way for her to tell besides how foggy her memory of being in the hospital and her leaving was. It didn’t feel real still, like she hadn’t been doing it. Though that could just be her imagining ways to excuse herself. Trying to justify running yet again.

After was her meeting with Gemini, then they made their way towards Glenn. The abandoned homestead with the mysterious library of fables. And then Glenn proper and her meeting with the mysterious “Hunter”.  
For a moment Far considered hiring Hunter to deliver a letter to Glynda or Vincent, but reconsidered after deciding she didn’t want Glynda to associate her with Hunter of all people.  
Mail would likely be her best bet, but still not a great one. Physical mail was slow even before the loss of Beacon tower, now it was chaotic as well, and whether it went south around Glenn, or up North where she was going, she’d likely be at Atlas by the time her letter reached anyone in Vale. 

She continued thinking for a while until she was snapped out by the sound of flapping in the wind, instinctively her eyes darted, looking for the source.  
Sure enough she spotted it, that very same Nevermore from the night before. Smaller than a full grown, and with glowing, yellow eyes. It perched on a tall building within eyesight of her.  
Carefully she pulled out her scroll, intending to take a picture, and as soon as she did the creature’s neck pivoted to face her direction.  
She froze, unsure if it could tell where she was. But in the end she had her picture, and chose to remain where she was, staring it down.  
She couldn’t tell how long she maintained eye contact. Deep into the night, it finally took flight again, off to whatever home it originated from.  
Far breathed a sigh of relief, closed her window, and went to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a shorter chapter this time because I've been working through some stuff.  
> Been a bit of a problem filled, chaos time for a lot of people I imagine.


	5. Folly in the Woods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Get to have some more characterization with the girls and Hunter.  
> I enjoy the more quiet times I'm finding.

Chapter 5: Folly in Words

Hunter stretched and yawned before leaping down from the tree she had spent her night in.  
It had been nearly a day since the night she left Far and Gemini in Seelie, and was glad she’d see her own home by the end of the morning.   
Lazily, she put her gear together, donning the few pieces of armor she wore. She didn’t expect to find any trouble on the road, but it was less she had to carry with her arms, which could be free to eat as she walked.   
“Downside to travel in the wild, no coffee…” She moaned.   
Being usually outside of the kingdoms at any given time, she didn’t have it very often, but savored its effects when it was available.   
She was alone in the desire of it among her tribe. The majority of them hadn’t been able to try coffee, but usually insisted Hunter was just mistaken, that there was no way it could be better than their own tea they’ve cultivated for decades.   
“Eugh…” She shuddered at the thought of the stuff.   
Bitter, thick, and generally unpleasant. Her mother maintained the opinion it tasted like medicine she was given when she was young, and while Hunter had never tried the medicine, she could relate to the negative view.

She stopped walking, staring at the ground beneath her.   
And there she stayed for a minute.   
“Just push it back down like usual, she’s not coming back.”   
She sighed and continued on her path, her steps heavier, less focused on keeping quiet like usual.  
She was upset.   
Her pace quickened.  
“How dare he?” She muttered, “Find her, take her in, have a kid you forget and steal her away.”   
She stopped again, and took a deep breath.   
“Deeper. You just can’t help but think when you’re alone, huh?” 

***

She made it back to her tribe’s village before noon after she doubled her pace in frustration.   
There were no walls so she was able to walk in with ease, they had no need of them save for if there were humans proving to be a problem.   
She looked around at the hide tents that made up their home. The smell of fire, things smoking and being preserved, it was all comforting.  
Her relief was short lived as she saw people collecting and spiking wood to form into a fence on the far side from where she entered. “Human trouble, so it would seem.”  
“Hunter! Hunter! You’re back!”   
She turned to see the source of the yelling. It was several of the tribe’s children running up to greet her.  
She knelt down to be at eye level with them, “Hey there, brats. You all been good while I’ve been away?”  
The oldest child groaned, “It’s been soooo boring without you here! Can we do something? You’re back right?”   
She smiled down at them, “‘Fraid not, kid. Just here to drop some stuff off and talk to the old man for a bit.”   
The kids grumbled and began to wander away from her.

“You sure took your time only to have a short stay.”  
Hunter turned to see a short man, hunched slightly, and wearing a large brimmed, leather hat, and a long poncho that covered his body to the thighs.  
“Hey JJ, sorry if you couldn’t quite deal with me being gone for so long.”   
His maroon eyes narrowed at her response, “You know my name, so use it.”  
“Fine, fine, Journey. You’re always so serious. Wanna walk with me to the old man’s tent?” She waved her hand dismissively as she spoke.   
“May as well since it seems you ain’t gonna be around long. Forager is gonna be sad he missed you.”   
They began to walk through the village, “Eh, he’s a tough boy. Not like I’m not gonna see him again.”   
Journey’s serious tone never waned, “So how come you were several days later than you were supposed to be? We expected you back a bit ago.”  
“Oh that? I found some people who have been fun to walk with.” Her body seemed to sway as she walked, like she was doing an incredibly slow dance as she continued walking.  
“‘Fun to walk with’? You could have gone so much faster on your own.”  
“Sometimes you need some pleasure during business, Journey. ‘Sides that’s where I’m going back to once I deal with stuff here. Gonna hang out with them a bit more before they move on past where I’m willing to go.”  
She looked over to him, she couldn’t see his face down past his hat, but she was aware he wasn’t paying her his full mind. She’d been around him for long enough to pick up on that trait.  
She leaned down to poke at his cheek, “You might actually like one of them. Feisty girl with horns who can turn into a real wolf.” She said with a wink.  
“Don’t joke about that.” He replied flatly.

After their stroll, the two of them made it to the largest tent at the end of the settlement, and Journey looked up at Hunter, “Guess this is where we’ll separate again. Don’t be gone too long. You know how worked up the chief gets about people leaving.”   
“It’ll be fine, not like he’s gonna do anything to stop me.”   
And with that she entered the large tent, leaving Journey outside.  
Inside, sitting at a carved desk was an elderly man, covered in wrinkled and warped tattoos from his neck down, and a beard that stretched to his chest.   
He looked up at Hunter with his sullen, chestnut, eyes, “Ah… Finally returned to the roost have you?”  
Hunter rolled her eyes, “Oh, the bird jokes… again. We’re starting off strong.”   
The Old Man’s expression didn’t change, “You were supposed to be home days ago.”  
“So everyone keeps reminding me.” Her tone was becoming annoyed.  
The Old Man sighed, “You know how people get when they think someone has left. It doesn’t mean good things.”   
Hunter frowned at him as they stared back at each other.  
After several moments of silence, she rummaged in her bag, and tossed a bag of lien cards onto his desk.  
“Part of the cut from my last job, this should help out everyone.”  
Then she turned and began to walk out.  
“Hunter.”   
She stopped just in front of the exit.  
“You can’t keep leaving for weeks at a time. I know you want to take after your mother, but please try to refrain from it.”  
Her eyes narrowed and she began lightly tapping one of the quivers at her hip.   
After standing at the exit for a few more seconds, she closed her eyes and exhaled.   
Then she put her hands behind her back and strolled outside without responding.

***

Far sat on a box in the makeshift training area she and Gemini made beside the weaponsmith’s.  
Gemini was twirling her dagger, “O-kay, so I think after that last attempt, I know how to use the dagger with dust, and not damage myself. Ah’ mean so long as I wear some more padded leather gloves.”   
Far cocked and eyebrow, “You sure? I wasn’t even sure you were ready to start training again today.”   
“Ah-ll ‘ave you know, I am quite all right, and fully functioning.” She said confidently as her thumb continued to spasm slightly as it was pointing at herself.  
“Riiight. At least from what you said, you’ve sort of figured out how to use crystal dust of basic elemental types. But there’s still other kinds, and it would probably be more consistent to use cartridges in a weapon actually designed to use them. Rather than you’re uhm… Creative solution.”  
Gemini crossed her arms, and rolled her eyes, “Right, right. ‘Official stuff’, an’ whatnot.”   
“It’s not official, or even that complex or difficult.” Far chuckled, “You can build a revolver chamber for dust cartridges, then have it put into a knife with a barrel in it to fire the dust out.”   
“An’ what do I look like to ye? An engineer? Ah’ didn’t go to one of them combat academies. Ah’ know plants, not bullets. An’ the last two weeks of study din’t change that.”   
“I’m sure the weaponsmith can help you.”   
“Ah’m sure he could, but right now my priority is working on a solution for your leg with the town’s doctor.”  
“Kinda hard to find a solution for, ‘chunk of leg missing’, huh?”   
Gemini sat on the ground while groaning, “Ugh! Ye have no idea. Even if you were willing to get rid of the whole leg to have a solid piece, this town certainly in’it equipped for it. Not to mention recovery time. An’ it’s not as if there’s some plant I can shove in there to regrow flesh.”   
Far smiled at her, “Nope, now you’re coming up against the hopeless situation I was confronted with.”   
Gemini frowned in response, “Yeah, ‘cept I wouldn’t of let ye go runnin’ off ‘fore it even scarred over completely, an’ even then have you go through rehab to learn usin’ it again.”   
“Alright, alright, It’s okay.” Far put her hands in front of her in surrender, “I can walk pretty alright again, and even fight decently.”  
She stood up with a slight wince.  
“And thanks to your little concoctions, I can move around without a whole bunch of pain, it’s fine.”  
Gemini crossed her arms and legs obstinately, “Nope, ye ain’t gettin’ off that easy. We’re stayin’ till I find a more permanent solution for you, and I can actually fight like at least a beginnin’ huntress.” 

“If you want, I can help with that a bit.”  
The girls looked over to see Topaz standing at the fence’s entrance gate.  
“Gets pretty boring at a village that grimm hardly touch after all.”  
Far smiled upon seeing her, “What did you have in mind? I could only teach her basics for now.”   
“Weeeell, I can teach her some other weapons, get some other perspectives, and skills you can use whenever. I have my glaive here, we have some bows and I think I might know where to find a training rifle with paint rounds.”  
“No real rifle with real rounds?” Far’s face became concerned.  
Topaz shook her head, “Nope, too isolated and cut off to get many supplies we can’t make ourselves. Especially with our little bandit problem up North keeping any usual trade from coming.”  
There was an awkward silence between them for several seconds before Topaz spoke up again, “Oh! I forgot entirely, withering already I suppose. Far, the group you need to escort to the farm down South is ready to go.”   
Far smiled and stretched before she started walking to one of the gates, and to Topaz, “Don’t beat her up too much.”  
Then she waved back to Gemini before leaving.

Wasting no time, Topaz began, “Alright, so how about you come with me to the Guard Room and we’ll grab some things.”  
Gemini hopped up and followed Topaz “Guard Room? Like just one?” She looked Topaz over, despite being in armor with a menacing glaive in her hand, her walking was entirely relaxed and casual.  
“Only need one room if you only have one guard.” She winked, “Besides it’s really more like a shack.”  
“I s’pose that makes enough sense.” 

The guardhouse wasn’t too long of a walk, and upon seeing it positioned next to the walls, Gemini could tell why she called it a shack.   
It looked like a remodeled tool shed planted next to one of the stairs, and for all she knew, it very well could have been.   
The inside inspired a similar feeling; dusty, covered in cobwebs, and floors and walls of untreated splintering wood.  
“Not high on the budget list to remodel a shack.” Topaz remarked playfully as she began to collect arrows. “Just go ahead and grab any sort of weapon that looks interesting. We only have paint rounds for the rifles though.”   
Gemini did indeed find the practice rifle.   
It was old, bolt action, and could only store three shots at a time. “Archaic.”   
She slung it over her back nonetheless and rummaged to find the box of paint rounds.  
“What would you suggest might be good to learn? For now I just know my knife.”   
Topaz continued looking through boxes without turning to her, “Well, there’s a lot of things you can run into. Not everywhere is fancy trick weapons, and with something like that, you’ll want it personalized for you to train with.” She picked up a collapsible warhammer, examined it, looked over to Gemini, then put it back in the box.  
Gemini let out a sigh of relief at her deciding against the hammer, “What about your polearm? Is it some kind of fancy trick weapon?”   
There was a thud as Topaz accidentally let go of the lid of the box she was shoulder deep into, “Ow! Uhhh.” She recovered and stuck her head back out, “Well uhm. Yes and no. It started as a plain ol’ glaive that my husband made for me as a proposal gift. But eventually we upgraded it, gave it a chamber to load dust into, and now it’s like a normal glaive but.”   
She paused. “A little something more. If you get me.”  
There was a forlorn look to Topaz’s eyes as she finished and went back to the box.  
Gemini decided to let the conversation drop and continued looking for herself.

***

Gemini fired the rifle and her shot hit the second most center circle of the target she had made with Topaz.   
The paint seemed to glow as it dried in the late afternoon sun.  
Topaz clapped, “Wonderful. You’re far better than when we started. But ya still got a while yet. Not to mention trying out the other weapons. I would like to see you with your knife to know what Far has taught you with it.”  
Gemini made a huffing noise as she lowered the rifle, “Well she’s mainly taught me proper ways to hold myself and counter. Wasn’t many opportunities on the road to teach with her healin’ and dealin’ with whatever threat was goin’ on that day.”   
“The thing with her leg? I figured something was a little off with how she favored her left exclusively.”  
“Observant as Hunter I see.” Gemini replied flatly.  
Topaz leaned against the fence smiling, “Sort of necessary for a huntress. Though I doubt my eyes could compare to Hunter’s. She’s got youth on me, as well as her just being incredibly aware of things somehow.”   
Gemini brought over a box to sit on, still holding the rifle with her and leaning on it, “You known her a while?”   
“For about nine years now.” She looked up, smiling in remembrance, “She was a horrendous little teenager. Always getting into something. She would steal things from people just to hide them on top of their own homes, or somehow get into places she shouldn’t have been like the tower. Still not sure how she managed all that, and she certainly hasn’t let loose her secrets.” 

Gemini watched her for a few seconds, studying her expression.  
Stoic and thoughtful. With a distinct feeling of care and light adoration.  
It reminded her vaguely of her mother.

“Do you know much about where she’s from?”  
The question seemed to snap Topaz out of her thoughts as she looked back down at Gemini, “No, not really. Despite them apparently being around here as far back as Glenn’s fall, from what I gather nobody around here is that familiar with them. One may come to trade for some things, but the only one anyone knows by name is Hunter, since she’s the only one who comes by a lot.”  
She sighed, “I hope she knows that folk here consider her a member of the town. Even if she was a brat when she was younger. But she brings a liveliness to the town that I think a lot of people who used to live in larger settlements miss.”   
Topaz glanced over to the short bow she brought over from the guard room.  
“You know, you should probably ask her to teach you how to use a bow. She’s certainly better than me in it.”

“What am I better than you at? I wanna get it in writing.”  
Gemini glanced behind Topaz to see Hunter strolling into the yard toward them.  
Topaz smirked, “Speak of the devil and all that.” Then turned, “I see your hearing remains as well as your eyes.”  
Hunter stopped a few feet from her, standing with her hip to one side, “And what exactly are you buttering me up for, ma’am?”   
“Far’s friend is trying to learn weapons, I thought you might be a good fit to show her a bow.”  
“Pfff, don’t have to flatter me for that.”  
“Good.” Topaz got back to standing and walked next to Hunter, placing a hand on her shoulder, “Cause I gotta get back to my guard duties, lest those jerks come around again. They do so love nighttime. Just leave the weapons with Ol’ Hammer before it gets to night.”   
And with that she left them.

Gemini cocked an eyebrow, “‘Hammer’?”  
Hunter put her hands behind her back and strolled over to her, “Well his name is Hammerkeep, and he’s the town’s smith. So it makes sense to an extent. Now.”  
She leaned her body in a 90 degree angle, putting her face in front of Gemini’s, “We’re gonna teach you some basics, then you’re gonna fill me in on what’s happened while I’ve been gone, Gemi.”   
“Uh… Sure?”

***

Hunter and Gemini sat at the bar in the inn finishing the drinks they had ordered, Hunter had her head on the counter with her arms down at her sides.  
“Uggggggghhhhhhh you’re so booooooring…” She groaned, “You didn’t try anything with her while I was gone? All you did was hold her hand. Do you need me to push you or something?”   
Gemini slapped Hunter’s arm, “I told you I’m still not completely sure myself. An’ it ain’t mah fault ye don’t find me studying dust or learning weapons interesting.”   
“I knooooooow. But like, ya coulda done one thing that was nifty besides the fight with the grimm you had.”   
“Ah’ can’t just make being half paralyzed in bed for the better part of a week interesting. Did ye do anything of interest or are you just gonna keep beratin’ me for my life?”  
There was a silence between them, and Gemini looked down at Hunter to see her face became sullen.   
“Not much of interest happened with me. I went home, talked to a friend for a little bit and paid my dues to everyone, and came back.”   
Gemini watched her for a moment wondering if she would continue, before deciding she clearly wasn’t, “You uh, ye alright? I’ve never seen you look anything but playful till now.”   
Hunter continued to stare off, “I’ll uh… I’ll be fine.”   
Gemini looked forward again at nothing particular, unsure where to go with the conversation.   
“Hey, Gemi?” She looked back to Hunter, who’s face was still on the counter, but looking up at her, “You ever had some kinda goal, or dream or something you’ve always wanted, but could never get. You could physically reach for it, but it would require you doing something you couldn’t take back?”   
Gemini thought for a moment.  
“I suppose I’m doin’ that already. I ran away from the life I didn’t want, and didn’t look back. I don’t know exactly where I’m going or why.” She smiled down at Hunter, “But I suppose also that’s part of the fun. Taking it as it comes, and seeing wherever my path leads.”  
She chuckled, “Ah’ mean, when I set out, I certainly didn’t plan to cross a continent with a woman I found dying, and face-down in the mud.”   
Hunter burst out laughing, “Oh my god! That’s how you met?! That’s a riot, to see that placid woman beat up.”  
“She’s only rough on the surface.” Gemini said with a warm smile as she gazed away, “She puts up her walls, but it’s because she’s scared. It’s better now that the weird red glowing orb is gone. But she’s still a bit bothered.”   
“You aren’t that much older than me, and yet I find myself looking up to you.” Hunter muttered under breath.   
“Sorry, could you repeat that?”  
Hunter breathed out a sight and lifted her head up.   
“It’s nothing. I’m glad I ran into you two. Even with your darling’s endless cynicism, you’ve given me a lot to think on.” She clinked her mug against Gemini’s, “I’m gonna stick around here till you two head off on your own. So if there’s anything you want help with, just gotta ask.” And she winked.  
Gemini smiled, “Well ah’m glad to hear ye won’t be headin’ off immediately. I’m sure Far’d be broken hearted if you never said goodbye.”   
“You didn’t deny the, ‘she was your darling,’ part.” Hunter said with a smug grin as she took a sip.  
Gemini didn’t respond immediately. She just looked down at the amber liquid in her mug and smiled, “No. I didn’t.” 

***

It was late into the night as Far was returning to Seelie with several villagers and their wagons of recovered supplies; farming and carving tools, simple weapons, and even a proper handgun. It wasn’t much, but it was more than they had previous.   
She largely didn’t interact with them besides to communicate plans or niceties. 

Looking up at the wall as they approached she could see Topaz waving them in.  
Far wished the villagers a good night then walked up the stairs to meet Topaz on the wall.  
Upon reaching the top she gave a soft wave to Topaz, who smiled and returned in kind.  
“Still got the energy to talk to some veteren huntress?” She began to walk along the wall back to the northern border of the village.  
Far caught up to walk alongside her, “Of course. You’re the only person in this town so far I’ve had no issue talking with.”  
She had a rough chuckle, “I think you and Hunter’d be the only two in town to say that. Most just see me as the tough protector or some such. Other’s see me as a grossly overpaid loiterer.”   
Far scowled, “Well that seems a bit harsh.”  
“I guess they aren’t entirely wrong. With our unique situation of Grimm rarely attacking, I do spend a lot of time simply wandering the wall alone. I often feel I’m simply here as a way to say they have defenses of any kind.”  
“Any amount of additional defense is better than none.” Far said quietly.   
“True. But it’s also true that if any legitimate force, grimm or otherwise attacked, there’d be very little I could do. This wall would prove to be a better investment than I would.” 

They reached the Northern gate, and both leaned against the barrier, looking out into the woods, and the smoke further beyond it of large campfires.  
Far looked over to her, “You shouldn’t discount the impact of one person. It can save or break people. I’m sure you’ve done more than you or some of those towns folk think. Sometimes even a deterrent is enough.”   
Topaz let out a sight, “Maybe. But I’d sure like about five more huntsman than I have in case those punk bandits come down here to finally cause a full problem, rather than just scaring off trade and harassing the people who live here.”  
Far gazed out guessing the distance between the village and the smoke, “A whole team of huntsmen can certainly help a bad situation.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems the hiatus truly brings me back to my desperate need for more RWBY content, that I come back to my own with some kinda new passion.


End file.
